Abyssal Diaries: Infiltration
by MortalitasBorealis
Summary: Following the events of Abyssal Diaries, a human Admiral successfully infiltrates the Abyssal ranks in an attempt to liberate the surviving Fleet Girl forces now held prisoner. These are her struggles to put her unlikely plan into action as the Admiral of an Abyssal support fleet, all while dealing with numerous quirky yet dangerous subordinates and an unexpected reunion.
1. Chapter 1 - Into the Abyss

**Author's Note: It's been awhile! You may know me as the author of Abyssal Diaries, my first KanColle fanfic a few months back. If you've read Abyssal Diaries already, I hope you enjoyed it!**

**While I originally planned a few bonus chapters for AD, I'm not exactly the best at filler and minor plans I had like Inazuma's first sortie I felt was kind of pointless and would just have been there to be dark. However, with the new Abyssals released since AD, I felt a little inspired to do something with them. Introducing Abyssal Diaries: Infiltration, a sequel to AD.**

**AD:I follows after the events of AD, under the same setting. It is recommended to read through at least the "Research Notes" section at the bottom of Chapter 1 of AD to know the general world setting. However, the main characters are all different. Namely, instead of a whole crew of OCs, it's just one.**

**With that said, reviews are once again very appreciated, and let us begin!**

* * *

><p>211/20XX

I don't think I should be writing this; in fact this might even get me tortured or killed, or BOTH, but this is the best way I know to calm myself with and I'm afraid I'll have a panic attack otherwise, so here goes. Pray that I checked correctly and there really aren't pinhole cams in my quarters.

So, I'm in. I'm actually in, the infiltration is a success. I, Cassandra Wilhelm, am now an Admiral of the Abyssal forces. Looks like they upped the security since the Iron Bottom Sound incident, I don't even know WHERE this is geographically, only somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Maybe I can figure it out eventually, they HAVE to give me maps so I can coordinate patrol routes, right?

The journey here was upsetting enough. The specified pick-up point was back at Biscayne Bay, right at the ruins of the old Guardian Office. It has since been rebuilt as a base of operations for the Abyssals, and despite renovations it was still recognizable. Going through that place brought back so many memories, both good and otherwise, but it's only steeled my resolve further. I showed the Abyssals there the ID they sent me, boarded the sub and after who knows how many hours here I am, dropped off right in the base.

Now I'm stuck at the bottom of the ocean, and despite the base itself being plenty spacey, I've never felt so claustrophobic in my LIFE! It doesn't help that there aren't any windows neither, though I'm not sure looking out into the dark abyss of the ocean floor is going to make me feel any better. If only we had come up with this before the battle of IBS, at least I'd get a mansion on land to relieve some stress at! I mean, those bastards got a MANSION to live in while helping plot the fall of humanity, and what do we get back in the military? I'm an Admiral, and my parents' old suburban house had a classier bedroom! Lord knows the barracks all the other non-Fleet Girl staff have to live in are even worse, I've been there for a long time before I got this position.

Hell, maybe the battle would have gone more in our favor too, and ended right then and there instead of…THIS. If only I had been there disrupting them then, maybe the IBS Princess wouldn't have happened at least. Maybe I could even have appealed to Anton's better nature and got him on our side again, if I pulled the right strings he might've ended up as Bismarck's Admiral, anything would've been better than what happened. Instead, all I did was sit in my office twiddling my thumbs and acting drama all the way to the counter-raid, then let her convince me to flee like a coward while they do the real work, and now look where we are, mankind's on its last legs, I'm all alone deep in enemy territory, all the surviving Fleet Girls are imprisoned, and she's DEAD! She died for me because I ran! I should have stayed and fought! I should have done SOMETHING! I should have…

Get a hold of yourself, Cass. No point blaming yourself again, you did plenty of that already. What could you even do, pick up your saber and start swinging? On sea? Hindsight's just being a bitch, and there's…no use crying over spilt milk, right? She's gone, you can't change that, but the others aren't, and neither are you. You're here now aren't you? If nothing else, you're going to save them, before the Abyssals can turn them into bloodthirsty monsters like what they did to all those other poor girls. That's right, that's what I'm going to do, whatever the cost.

Back on track then. Since the IBS incident, the Abyss' command structure seems to have changed. Instead of all the human turncoats staying in the same base, at the very least us Admirals have been split off to different locations while the supposed R&D guys still stay together for maximum efficiency. I for one seem to be alone at this remote office, with a fleet of maybe 3 dozen strong, and some reinforcements coming in a week or so. My mission as stated by the one who contacted me from the Abyss is really simple actually, just to coordinate patrols around the ocean and send support to whoever requests it while the other commanders, human or otherwise, focus on the land assaults around the world. Maybe they don't trust me enough to let me command an army like the shameless turncoats, but this suits my true purposes just fine. Now all I have to do is earn their trust and gain access to the locations of imprisoned Fleet Girls, then find a way to free them and coordinate a simultaneous break-out around the world! The fate of all these Fleet Girls and the entire world likely depends on me! No pressure!

Onto more recent and trivial affairs, I must admit, the base looks far less…"evil" than what I had in mind. While the Wo-Class took me on a brief tour, it almost felt like I was back at Biscayne Bay, with a bit of sci-fi mixed in and dangerous Abyssals walking around looking at me apprehensively instead of my cute, doting Fleet Girls…I wonder how the Abyss see their Admirals. Certainly compared to the bright smiles and salutations I was welcomed with when I was first assigned to Biscayne, the tension here is really unnerving. Casual chatter would die down while they stare at me until I've passed, not out of respect or anything just...I dunno, the way they look at me it's almost as if I'M the monster here.

As for my living quarters, it's about the same as the one in Biscayne, minus the internet and all our photos and trinkets. All things considered it's better furnished, not a difficult task to accomplish, but it actually manages to feel even LESS like home. I also don't have a secretary ship yet, the memo on my desk said she'll be arriving with the reinforcements. Honestly speaking, I'm not even sure I WANT an Abyssal secretary after trying to interact with a few of them. I'm not sure WHY I thought making unnecessary chit-chat with them was a good idea, it's not like I'm here to make friends with hostile aliens that I'm going to betray eventually, I just sort of…did, and the experience was certainly… interesting. The more inhuman of the Abyss seem incapable of speech, as expected, while the Wo and Ri-Classes are eerily emotionless. I can't tell if they can't express emotions, or literally can't feel anything, probably a combination of both. The Ta and Ru-Classes are more diverse and actually feel pretty human, but none of them seem very friendly at all, at least to me, not to mention they're just damn intimidating. It might just be me, but I don't feel comfortable having something that can kill me with a finger stick around near me all day. The Chi and Re-Classes are much more endearing and familiar to chat with, being generally destroyer age, but the Chis' masks are kind of creepy, not to mention they're not the brightest bulb in the Abyss, and the Res…well the whole kill me with a finger thing again, with extra enthusiasm. It feels so unreal that, minus their tails, something so cute and cheerful could go on killing sprees with the same happy-go-lucky grin on their faces…

And then there are the Chimeras. None here right now, they might come with the reinforcements but I don't know, it's the Res all over again but worse if that's even possible. Mutated with animal-like parts, weird powers and a distinct lack of a conscience like all the other Abyssals, they're like some kind of sick parody of their former selves, especially since they often look a LOT like their Fleet Girl selves compared to the others. Some might argue turning humans into Fleet Girls in the first place is kind of the same deal, and sure the construction process isn't the most flawless thing, possibly even INTENTIONALLY kept that way, I know the brass are dickish enough to do it, but at LEAST it's just their memories, right? They don't end up with claws or fins or tentacles or hoof-things for feet or jaw tails or whatever the hell else body horror. Wings WOULD be kind of cool though, if it was voluntary, I guess. I mean, I kind of want wings too so I can fly around in the open sky, should be fun, and a convenient mode of transportation too. Screw traffic, I'll just fly over it!

Ugh, speaking of the Chimeras reminds me of old Okada. Poor guy, having to see what became of half his destroyer division. It was a miracle Inazuma managed to keep her memories and help us take out IBS, though I wonder how sane she really was after being corrupted. Just because she remembered who she was doesn't mean her thoughts and personality hadn't been altered. Tenryuu said she got a lot more violent and angry, which seemed to be a sign, but then I remembered Inazuma's nickname and how she got it. Still, it could be possible all that sympathy in her message towards the Abyssals might just have been through rose-colored glasses. Maybe, maybe not, I didn't read it myself, Okada just summarized it for me. Now that I'm here amongst the enemy I guess I'll have plenty of chances to see for myself how "human" they are.

Still, even with Inazuma, I'm genuinely surprised and impressed old Okada could hold it together after that. He loved them like his own daughters, lord knows how much it'd hurt to know your daughters were killed, turned into monsters and tried to kill your other daughters, and everyone else's daughters. It's like those scenes in zombie flicks where a family member gets bit and the protagonist has to execute them, except in this case the family members already turned, and are super boss zombies that kick the protagonist's ass so there's nothing he/she can do but watch them rip the other survivors a new one. God, if that happened to my girls instead, I'm not even sure what I'd do…Well, it's kind of happened now, at a smaller scale thank god. I wonder where she is right now, my own little flagship. For her sake I hope her body was too destroyed to turn, and even if it wasn't, I pray they didn't find her body and desecrate it into god-knows-what. I'd rather she be a simple Chi or emotionless Ri than a Re gleefully murdering others while singing a happy tune.

I also pray she's the only unfortunate one as confirmed. Please let everyone else be alive and well, please let Inazuma be telling the truth. I swear I'll save all of you. I must. It's the least I can do to honor her.

* * *

><p>311/20XX

Today's been my first full day at this place, after having arrived late afternoon yesterday with only enough time for the tour and a small dinner. The day started like all days should start. With breakfast in bed. To my pleasant surprise they have pancakes down here, not very good ones but, PANCAKES. I was expecting some kind of weird deep sea fish or kelp and stuff, but no, thank god, and I got a nice mug of hot chocolate too. All that's missing are some hashbrowns and I've got myself a McBreakfast. It's no mansion food but I will gladly take what I can get right now.

After that the morning was pretty lame for better or worse. The Abyssals honestly have their own business all sorted out, going out and coming back from patrols and expeditions on their own following an existing schedule. There isn't much for them to look out for neither, considering all the oceans and coastal regions are already conquered and even Witches can't get far past coast without getting attacked, their patrols are probably more like short jogs for exercise and fresh air. I'm starting to feel like they stuffed me here just as some sort of middleman, dealing with communications and menial paperwork, keep an eye on the Abyssal girls and organize operations in the off chance of emergency, like some kind of high level lackey. I mean, this does benefit me, the less I have to do the less suspicion I might end up drawing, but come on, I'm still an Admiral…

After a few hours of checking expedition reports it was lunch time already. The Wo-Class from day one brought a fish filet burger and some coffee straight to my office. Feeling particularly bored and lonely, I asked her to stay and keep me company before I could stop myself, and felt too awkward to actually say I changed my mind, even if it's just an emotionless Abyssal. We didn't really talk for awhile, she just…sat there kind of staring at me while I tried to eat, unable to taste anything but unadulterated awkwardness. Surprisingly it was her who broke the ice first.

"May I ask you a personal question, Admiral?"

"H-Huh? Sure, what do you want to know?"

Okay admittedly I probably sounded more like "Hurr? Shure, rhar do yrou wran cho knor?" with all the burger in my mouth, but she understood anyway.

"Why did you decide to become an Admiral for our side?"

I swallowed and pretended to think for a bit, before answering with the story we agreed on.

"I decided my fellow humans had become too inhumane. Strapping bombs to the new Witches and Tank Maidens just to avoid their capture and conversion like they're just tools to dispose of when they stop being useful, the general corruption, cowardice and selfishness of my colleagues and higher-ups, their shady recruitment methods, I could go on. You'd think the others would learn after what happened with Bismarck and Anton, they know what they did to cause his betrayal, but NO, they're getting even WORSE now to get more recruits for construction. The amount of blackmailing, bribing, even forcefully drafting inmates. I've tried my best to convince them otherwise, but they couldn't give less of a crap and ultimately discharged me when they got sick of my complaints. About a week later someone on your side contacted me, and now here I am. Figured the rest of humanity would be better off under the aliens than those trash."

That was what I came up with when the plan was first made, and I've been acting it out since IBS. I made sure to make myself as verbose as possible about my apparent disagreement with central's methods, even arranging meetings with my superiors just to argue and protest, some of them weren't even in on the act, reactions ranging from confusion to outrage, and ultimately leading to my planned dismissal. It was necessary, we knew there were spies amongst us, all we had to do was fool and use them to our own advantage. I guess Drama Club worked out for me, because sure enough, they were convinced and I was scouted.

To be honest, it wasn't all made up. Every good lie needs a grain of truth. Or a whole pile for that matter. Perhaps blowing the poor girls up in an emergency is better than letting the Abyss get their hands on them, perhaps blackmailing innocents into enlisting as new Fleet Girls and their variants is the only way to get enough manpower, but that doesn't make it any less…WRONG. Just necessary to save the rest of humanity. One might even argue if we started doing all this earlier we wouldn't be in this state, and I can't argue for sure they're wrong, but what's the point of saving humanity if we have to give up our human decency to win?

The Wo-Class didn't say anything else after that, and soon departed with the leftover trash after I was done with my meal. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, and after some spicy tacos for dinner, alone this time, some early rest. Theoretically things will get a little more hectic once the reinforcements come, these first few days are just for me to get used to the place, so I may as well get as much rest as I can while I can.

Compared to my first day at the Guardian Office this has been a breeze, with all the daily basics already sorted and all the troops already trained before I even got here. In a way I even admire their autonomous discipline, it took so much nagging to motivate the destroyers to train or go on expeditions at first…I was probably just too soft, but the last thing I wanted was to go all drill sergeant on them, I had enough of THAT myself. However, working stress aside, the emotional stress here is far worse. It's not like the Abyssals have been bothering me, but that just adds to the coldness in a way. When they'd come keep me company in my office, do exercises together, or watch the sunset with me; actually bonding with the girls was the only highlight of the job for me afterall. Hmm, maybe I'll try being more proactive with socializing tomorrow. My encounter with Wo wasn't that bad.

Wow, it's latter than I remembered, I should probably get some shuteye. "Good morning, commander, it's the start of a new day! Let's work hard together today as well, yes!" I wish I could wake up to that just one last time.

* * *

><p>911/20XX

Before I knew it, the first week had already ended. I'm no closer to finding the locations of their Fleet Girl prisons, though at least I know precisely where the base is now, and the reinforcements will be arriving any second, including my new secretary. As if that didn't make me nervous enough, the memo even said she'll be a "surprise" for me. Surprise? What the hell does that mean?! Some new super deadly prototype Chimera just for me or something? Whoopee, it must be my birthday…

Alright, let's keep my mind off that for now. That's why I'm here writing, right? The past week has been surprisingly pleasant all things considered! I've been keeping my nerves under control and starting small talk with the Abyssals, and the few times the other was willing to maintain conversation it was actually kind of fun, and a bit of an eye opener.

I've made friends with that Wo-Class in particular, if you can call us "friends", and we've been having meals together whenever she's not out on a patrol or expedition. It was a mild surprise to learn she actually had a name, Woverly, which is like Waverly but punnier. Really it's to be expected, their class names are just things we made up to identify different Abyssal species with, they couldn't possibly refer to each other like that. Hell, I'm grateful I don't have to refer to them by numbers like Wo #3, Ri #5 or something. I was more surprised the names were so human for alien cyborg zombies. Heheh, that IS kind of what they are, alien cyborg zombies, sounds like something out of a cheesy B film, right next to the Manclams and Giant Space Lobsters, though after the IBS Princess the later isn't so unbelievable anymore. Come to think of it, the Nu-Classes DO kind of look like Manclams, with their heads and all…Anyway, I'd have thought their mysterious alien superiors would've named them something like Xa'Ulrimm or Ezri Dax or something, but according to Woverly the Abyssals usually name themselves or each other, not their commanders, and since they used to be human, their vocabulary's primarily human as well. Quite a few of them make names based off the class names our military assigned them, as a sort of parody I guess.

It also turns out while Abyssals do eat metals and drink petroleum, they prefer preparing them into food shapes first instead of just biting down on crude chunks unless it's an emergency. According to Woverly they taste better that way. Maybe it's some subconscious effect from past human habits? Either way, watching the Chis and Res walk around holding metal sandwiches and fuel oil in soda cups is pretty amusing, and adorable. Also, back in high school, we used to insult the cafeteria noodles by calling them wires for being so hard and tasteless. Down here, that applies to a much more literal sense, no comment on actual taste and texture. Huh, now I feel like eating some noodles myself…homemade Mapo noodles…dammit I'm getting sentimental again. Speaking of food, apparently they've been importing stuff from captured cities for me and the other humans who work for the Abyss, including fast food. I have literally been eating McBreakfasts. So where the hell are my hashbrowns? Woverly says they just go missing from the kitchen fridge, someone's probably stealing them. Apparently despite significantly lower nutrition values compared to metals, Abyssals CAN eat human food. It's hard to imagine some Abyssal raiding the fridge for human junk food, but there you go. Ah well, considering they've been preserved for days already, they can't be that delicious anyway…I will be the bigger woman and look the other way. Aren't I mature?

Oh boy, Woverly just knocked on my door, the reinforcements have arrived. Welp, time for greetings. I sure hope they're something simple, but as the memo said, I'm likely getting a surprise whether I like it or not. Alright, here goes nothing, wish me luck, me!

* * *

><p>The tall brunette quickly hid her diary in a secret compartment she carved in the drawers, adjusted her glasses and exited her quarters. The port, the port…that was to the left, right? No wait that's the docks, right is right. She hasn't left her office much beyond the day one tour and occasional trips to the mess hall for socializing attempts, so the base structure was still a bit confusing.<p>

She heard the excited chatter before she even entered, and she could see from the second she opened the door that things were definitely going to get MUCH more nerve-wracking from here on. 3 Demons could be clearly seen across the port, one resembling a giant teethed clam, the other two more ship-like, with multiple drone flight decks. No doubt the ones surrounded by ecstatic Abyssals were their respective Princesses. Like groupies surrounding rockstars, Cassandra thought. She remembered when her destroyer division would do that to her after returning from a mission, trying to get her to praise them or just give them some attention…what, was she feeling jealous or something? Get a hold of yourself, she muttered before going closer. A few Chimeras, including Phoenixes for air support. There was a Ne-Class too, their existence revealed during the counter-offensive after IBS. She's pretty, Cass had to admit, but those twin tail things coming out of her stomach were HORRIFYING, like alien parasites, even worse than the Res' jaw tails! Then there was the little girl riding on top of one of the Princesses' shoulders. She's…she's so damn YOUNG! Even the youngest destroyers at least looked like they belonged in junior high, this cute little kid looks like she should be in primary school! How is this even possible? Did the military really turn a girl THAT young into a Fleet Girl then got her sunk?

While the Admiral was still deep in thought about the existence of limits for the military's dickishness, the little Abyssal had spotted her first and waved hello with her fluffy mittens, causing the rest of the crew to turn towards her as well.

"Ah, is our new Admiral…here." The Princess with the side ponytail looked the brunette over, disappointment written all over her face. "I must say, I had fairly high expectations of you, but...eh, whatever."

"Oh geez, you could've at least TRIED to be subtle. Do excuse Yorky, Miss Admiral, that simpleton's just been hoping for some hunky beefcake for a commander instead of a woman, shameless perv isn't she~" The one with the sweater and big armored boots shrugged nonchalantly.

"Shut your whore mouth, and for the last time, stop using that name, insect. It sounds like a dog."

"But isn't that how you act in front of any handsome enough men, YORKY?"

"Buzz off before I squish you like the bug you are!"

"Oooh, still think you're so much tougher just because you're a little older? Wanna try your luck right now, YORKY~? I'll make sure not to embarrass you too much in front of the Admiral!"

"Yorktown, Hornet, enough." Just as the two Princesses raised their fists (in Hornet's case, her knee) for a brawl right then and there, the last Princess, wearing a majestic white dress, raised her own and swiftly sucker-punched both in the face, knocking them to the ground in a single blow. The little girl riding on her shoulders cheered while the last Princess standing calmly turned towards the jaw-dropped Admiral, who was just standing there trying to process the spectacle. "Please accept my sincere apologies for their disrespectful dispositions. Allow me to introduce ourselves, but first, please take this."

It took a few seconds for Cassandra to recover from the bizarre encounter and hesitantly accept the electronic tablet. "Oh…uhh…sure, go ahead."

"My name is Middia, though I am referred to as Midway Princess by your former colleagues. These two young ladies are Yorktown and Hornet, known to your kind as the Aircraft Carrier Princess and Aircraft Carrier Water Princess respectively. As for this little one here, her name is Hoppou, known as the Northern Princess."

PRINCESS?! "Is something wrong, Lady Admiral?" "N-n-no, of course not! Please continue." Cass tried to keep her calm, but nothing could hide her cold sweat, and she wasn't even paying attention while Middia introduced the other Abyssals. That kid was a PRINCESS CLASS?! How is that even possible? Now that she's heard their assigned codenames she also remembered them now, all of them powerful new units encountered during the Abyssal counter-attack, all at least on par with the infamous Battleship Princess, and the one known as Northern Princess had even sunk one of the Big 7 all on her own! This small child sunk a Big 7?! And she's here in this base now?! It took a moment for her to remember she was technically the commander of these fearsome monsters right now, but if ever her ruse was found out…

"…and this Ne-Class' name is Neko. You can find any additional information you require within the data tablet, and if not, you are most welcome to ask us."

That finally snapped the Admiral out of her thoughts. "A-ah, understood, thank you Midway-ah, Middia. You may all head to the barracks and unpack your belongings at your leisure."

"Hey, Middi, aren't you forgetting someone?" Hornet asked, dusting off her sweater. "I thought you were just saving her for last but…"

"Ah, yes, the new arrival. She is the least experienced amongst us, and has unfortunately suffered from physical disabilities that baffled even our research department, but headquarters was quite firm on that she take up the role of your secretary. Her name is Luna, and I am uncertain of her designation by the humans, likely having none as she has never been on the field before. Don't be shy now, come out and introduce yourself properly."

It was only then that Cassandra noticed one last Abyssal, who had been hiding behind Middia the entire time. With a moment's hesitation, the last Abyssal rolled out from behind the Midway Princess, Middia's massive frilly dress enough to have hidden the wheelchair-ridden girl.

"H-Hi…I'm Luna, yes…I-I'll be in your care from now on, co…commander is something wrong?!"

The admiral in question had fallen to her knees, tears rolling down her face, a conflicting expression of joy and surprise at seeing an old friend thought lost, but also horror and regret at seeing her in this state.

"H…Ha…"

"Commander? COMMANDER!" They all rushed to her side, but she had already passed out.

* * *

><p>Data File Excerpts<p>

…

Name: Yorktown

Designation: Aircraft Carrier Princess

Found wandering the area near the Iron Bottom Sound wreckage along with Middia, the Midway Princess. Analysis suggest she is the Abyssimilated Kaga of the Japanese 1st Carrier Division, after being sunk during the Battle of IBS. Named based on the shape of her demon resembling an actual warship.

While she can activate her aura like other Princesses, she also enters a "berserk" state when she does so, with significantly heightened aggression and mental instability along with power. She has been known to detach her Demon's two flight decks and use them as swords in this state.

Notes: Emotionally attached to Middia, though the feelings don't seem returned. Carried over from their lives as Fleet Girls perhaps? Also, advise sending her to female superior so she can focus on her duties instead of flirting.

…

Name: Middia

Designation: Midway Princess

Found wandering the area near the Iron Bottom Sound wreckage along with Yorktown, the Aircraft Carrier Princess. Analysis suggest she is the Abyssimilated Akagi of the Japanese 1st Carrier Division. Originally named Pearl, based on her oyster-like Demon, but renamed herself after hearing her designated codename from the human military.

Her Demon's most unique feature is its incredibly resilient shell, making it a nigh impenetrable fortress for the Princess to hide in while unleashing swarms of drones and cannonfire. For some reason dislikes doing so however outside of emergencies.

Notes: Despite her lady-like demeanor, she has a HUGE appetite, and so does her Demon, especially after any serious activity. If you don't have a huge stockpile of resources to match, don't send her on non-emergency missions!

…

Name: Hornet

Designation: Aircraft Carrier Water Princess

Found during the early stages of the counter-offensive. Analysis suggest she is the Abyssimilated Shoukaku of the Japanese 5th Carrier Division. Named based on the shape of her demon resembling an actual warship.

Her Demon is similar to Yorktown in terms of appearance. However, it is more powerful than Yorktown's in almost every way, as is Hornet herself in contrast to Yorktown, despite being "younger". Also in contrast to Yorktown, who excels at upper body strength, Hornet excels at lower body strength, able to deliver devastating kicks.

Notes: She seems to have some kind of feud going on with Yorktown, after beating Yorktown in a practice match. Advised to keep the two together, hopefully they'll learn to get along…eventually.

Notes 2: While it's not actually confirmable, events during her first sortie imply that Hornet seems to have inherited the same "curse" from her Fleet Girl days. If a VIP needs to be escorted, send her, her new armor can take the punishment she attracts.

Notes 3: Aircraft Carrier _Water_ Princess? Seriously? That's what they named her? That goes beyond uncreative.

…

Name: Hoppou

Designation: Northern Princess

Found near the Mediterranean Sea following the events of IBS. An unprecedented specimen, she appears to have been a regular human child who drowned when a plane crashed in the ocean for unknown reasons, near the site of an old battle which left dozens of Abyssal Destroyer and light cruiser wreckages on the ocean floor. It's currently unknown how it occurred, but the remaining nanites from the wreckages fused with her body, resurrecting her as a Princess.

Instances of normal humans becoming advanced Abyssals without first becoming a Fleet Girl is rare, much less a Princess class. This occurrence was likely due to her genetic code having an incredibly high compatibility with Abyss technology. If she had survived, grew up and become a Fleet Girl instead, it's likely her power would far surpass even the Big 7. As it stands, her maximum capabilities are currently just below Middia.

Like herself, her Demon is the smallest installation-type documented yet, and lacks any mobility functions, resembling living equipment more than an individual creature. While possessing two heads, both are connected and seem controlled by the same mind.

Notes: She's taken Middia as a motherly figure, so it's best to deploy them both to the same base. Rather fond of model planes, bribing her with one is an easy way to make her cooperate.

…

Name: Luna

Designation: None

Found near the shores of Biscayne Bay two weeks after conquering the area. Analysis suggest she is the Abyssimilated Harusame, flagship of the division originally stationed there. Named herself.

Another unique specimen. She is naturally missing everything below her thighs, and no amount of regular healing methods can restore them. She didn't suffer such a disability as a Fleet Girl or human, so currently the cause is unknown. The research and engineering departments have taken the chance to make modifications on her, and thrusters have been installed where her legs cut off, giving her limited flight capabilities. These thrusters are fueled directly by her Abyss Energy, and allow for hovering and low altitude flight. However, to avoid scorching the floors, she is to use a custom-made wheelchair while indoors. Prosthetic legs have been equipped for cosmetic purposes, but due to the thruster modifications already installed, the prosthetics are non-functional and merely decorative.

She is also the only one of her kind, a Princess with destroyer specifications. Not only that, she is the only Princess with two Demons, normally attached to her sides. Each is only capable of movement in water, similar to regular Abyssal Destroyers, and have been moving Luna for her prior to discovery and retrieval.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Moon is Beautiful

"No! I won't leave you all to fend for yourselves while I run with my tail between my legs! A true captain goes down with her ships!"

"This is OUR duty, commander. This is why we were made, to protect humans from the Abyssals. Yes, including you. Go, evacuate with the others, HURRY! We'll cover your escape!"

"Then what's MY duty then?! To hide behind my comrades while they risk their lives to fight for mine?!"

"To live long enough to lead humanity to victory. More Fleet Girls can be built and trained with ease, but good commanders can't. The world needs you more than us, commander. Now go."

"But…"

"We'll go stargazing together again. Yes, I promise."

"…I'll keep you to that."

…

* * *

><p>Her eyes opened a crack. Hazy images swam in her head, of quarreling Princesses and…her. Was it all a dream? It had to be, there's no way. Thinking back on it the dream was pretty silly anyway, Princesses punching each other in the face, Abyssals that need wheelchairs as if they can't just heal back from whatever…<p>

"C-Commander, you're awake! Are…are you okay?"

Her heart sank. After a few seconds, she turned her head to face the familiar yet different voice with resigned reluctance. It wasn't a dream afterall...

* * *

><p>1011/20XX

The reinforcements are here, and yes, it was a surprise, surprisingly more surprising than I imagined, what a surprise. Screw you, Abyssal HQ, just, screw you.

So, after last night, now we have a bunch of Chimeras and 5 bloody Princesses, including Harusame, or should I say Luna? It's all so...surreal! Why were three of them fighting each other? Why is the Northern Princess, what was her name, Hoppou? Why was she so young? Why is Harusame in a wheelchair? Well I know the answer to the last question after reading the data files today, though I didn't feel like reading the other entries yet, they can wait. It's just so unbelievable that the first thing I thought when I woke up was that it was all some weird dream of mine, until I found her sitting right next to me.

I…I don't know what to think right now. I'm glad she's back in a way, I thought I'd never see her again, but…IS she really back? Is it still her inside that pale, dead-looking body? At first I wondered if it was just some sick joke from the Abyssal headquarters to make a Harusame lookalike, "Hahah, sorry about sinking your flagship, have a replacement! No hard feelings right?", but the data files say it really is her. Did they change the data files just to screw with me? That feels extremely delusional on my part. She sure has acted like her too so far, from what little I can observe.

She's spent almost the entire day with me in the office, but we never really talked. At least, I couldn't get up the nerve to do so, and Haru…Luna, probably felt too awkward to start anything after the first few failed attempts. It's really stupid of me isn't it, just talk to her, test her mannerisms further, find out once and for all how much of her is left in there…but at the same time I'm too afraid of the answer. Maybe she could miraculously have turned out like Inazuma and is keeping her memories a secret, but that would be what it would be, a miracle of the tiniest odds, probably NO odds even considering Inazuma had always been a special case even as a Fleet Girl AND was converted alive, both of which Harusame weren't. Still, what if she's still the shy but determined hero I remember her to be, even if she can't remember anything? That's a possibility, right? But what if she's become another emotionless puppet, strings pulled by the puppetmaster of the Abyss? That's also a possibility...Or worse, what if she's now a bloodthirsty killing machine who wants nothing more than to sink her teeth into her former sisters' flesh…?

CASSANDRA, STOP, CHRIST. What's the point in fooling yourself with ignorance? The damage is done, DEAL WITH IT. Whether you find out the truth or not doesn't change it, facts are not subjective. If she's the former, everyone's happy and you can stop fretting over it. If she's one of the latter two…then you know what to do when the time comes. She would have wanted that.

Phew, I feel kind of better now. This is why I write these journals, it just puts things in perspective and sorts the mess in my head. So it's decided then, starting tomorrow I'm going to find out the truth for sure, whatever it may be! But…how? What did I even have in mind, "Hey, Luna, do you enjoy bathing in the blood of your enemies?" "Oh yes, it's very comfortable, and their tears make a delicious beverage, yes! Why'd you ask?" Ugh. Hmm, perhaps…perhaps I can just recreate our first days together back at Biscayne. Yes, that could work! Simply pretend we've never met before and work from there, see if she reacts the same way as back then! Sure many factors have changed but it's a start at least. Hoping for the best!

* * *

><p>"C-Commander…"<p>

"Yeah?"

It was the next morning. Just as the previous day, both Cassandra and Luna were in the Admiral's office. Unlike the previous day, work was actually getting done now that Cassandra can focus again, and there was much work to catch up on before she could concentrate on interacting with her secretary. Was she just making an excuse to delay? Even she herself couldn't answer that.

"May I…ask you a personal question?"

"Huh? Sure, ask away."

"Do…Do you hate me?"

And there goes her focus again. "W-Wha? Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"It's just…you were crying when we first met, then you outright fainted, yes…and then yesterday you refused to talk to me all day…I thought it m-might be because…you were so d-disappointed I was assigned as your s-secretary…"

She had to look away from those teary eyes for a second. Oh god, did I really make her feel that way? The admiral wondered with a rapidly growing sense of guilt. Dammit, she's always been sensitive with low self-esteem, being specifically assigned to an admiral only to be ignored from the get go with occasional looks of doubt and uncertainty thrown in has to have hit HARD. Huh, if she's acting this way, does that mean she IS still Harusame on the inside? Either way it's not her fault I'm struggling with my own emotions, she didn't deserve that kind of crappy treatment, I really should apo…is she sobbing? Turning back to look at her secretary again, what she found wasn't just a sobbing Abyssal. The poor girl looked MISERABLE, there were tears rolling down her cheeks, desperately restrained sobs and sniffs in a failed attempt to hide her depression.

"I-I'm sorry I'm *sob* not as strong a-as the others…or smart…and I'm c-crippled…*sob* I-If you w-want *sob* I'm s-sure a different s-secretary can be *sob* assigned…I…I'm sorry…"

The crying Abyssal found herself wrapped in a warm hug before she could continue.

"No, Luna. You've done nothing wrong and I would never hate you. I should be the one apologizing for making you feel this way while I was bogged down by personal issues…if anyone should be asking for forgiveness, it's me."

The Abyssal's body felt cold as death, but her admiral barely noticed. Nothing more was said for awhile, allowing themselves to embrace and be embraced in silence.

"…I know I'm an unworthy commander for making you cry after a single day, and there are many things I want to ask your forgiveness for, far more than what you could imagine, but for now…can you please still be my secretary, Luna?"

"O-of course, commander, yes!"

* * *

><p>2311/20XX

It's been almost two weeks since…that. God I'm a horrible person, first I get her killed, then I've made her cry a day after our reunion…Shigure would probably beat me senseless if she was here, and I'd deserve it too.

If there were any silver linings to be found, we've gotten along much better after that. It's honestly almost as if I've traveled back in time to my first days in the Guardian Office; it is definitely still her in there, and while her memories may be reset, all of our original time together gone, that just gives me the chance to befriend her all over again, with added experience and knowledge so I don't do some of the dumber things I did before, like a new game plus one could say. Our schedule's about the same as before too, paperwork in the morning, training in the afternoon, leisure at night, and Luna's almost always by my side. She's back to her modestly cheerful self, and while she's still not as energetic as most of her sisters, I would've imagined she'd picked up SOME wildness after becoming an Abyssal but she didn't which is kind of nice, her company is as calming as ever. I haven't even had the need to write in a long while. I still don't, but I feel I may as well update this a bit.

Daily life has gotten very stable by now as well, and, dare I say? Enjoyable, even. Woverly and a few others have been dropping by often, and the occasional mealtime get-togethers where we share tales of old with everyone get me all nostalgic every time. I refrained from telling my own stories though, other than a few silly college mishaps, didn't want to go into my Fleet Girl commanding days since I was their enemy back then. The mural incident got a good laugh out of everyone; you know it's funny when even the Wo and Ri-Classes can crack a smile. Their stories have also been very entertaining actually, if a little morbid at times, still not nearly as bad as I imagined thankfully. As expected of a Re-Class, Reagan gets up to the best antics. What can I say, the image of her chasing a small team of destroyers while riding a great white shark while wearing a cowboy hat while screaming "YEEEEEHAAA!" makes me giggle, especially since no one was hurt in the end. As she said, you have to make your own fun when you live in the middle of the ocean.

The reinforcements that I feared so much back then have also really livened up the place, in the good kind of way. Hoppou hangs out around the office often nowadays after I got her a model Reppu. Even going into toy preferences, that is some detailed intel. Speaking of intel, I got around to reading the other data files some days back. Turns out the poor kid died from natural causes and somehow became a Princess-Class Abyssal, such misfortune for the rest of us. Glad to know the military hasn't stooped THAT low to get more troops at least. Y'know, while she may have become another monster that humanity has to watch out for, and a really tough one at that, watching her run around the office with her plane, with that innocent smile of pure joy that only a child could have, I'm still glad she's getting a second chance at life like this. I kind of wish the data file didn't include her exact cause of death though, the irony's pretty disturbing.

As for Yorktown and Hornet, they're like two college-age sisters who never outgrew their sibling rivalry. I would know, I knew two girls like that back in high school, though they were obviously younger and not nearly as violent. Their feud has been going on since day one, ranging from elaborate pranks to straight-up fights in the hallways, which usually end when Middia sends both to the docks the painful way. Their pranks HAVE been pretty amusing, if sometimes costly to our resources and getting innocents caught in the crossfire. Seriously, I would have chewed Yorktown out so hard after the noodle incident sent half the base to the docks (it didn't even GET Hornet neither) if Middia (and all the victims later) didn't beat the living daylights out of her already. However I really need to find a way to help them get along better, at least to the point where they won't break into a brawl out of nowhere. At this rate it's only a matter of time before they cause some kind of breach and accidentally flood the base, and then where would I be?

Despite how intimidating she might be, I mean, anyone who can knock out a Princess with a single punch is just SCARY, but I would say Middia is the most level-headed and dependable out of all of them, and she usually is, until food gets involved…nothing gets between her and her bauxite burgers, NOTHING. Who would believe such a refined-looking lady would be such a glutton in front of food? We've had to almost double our expeditions since she arrived, that woman eats about as much as all the Rainy Sisters combined! Her Demon's WORSE! I don't really see it eat, but Middia rolls entire CARTS of resources back to her quarters after every meal to feed it with. That's what she says anyway, at this point I could actually believe if that cart was some after-meal snack for herself. And the WORST part? Despite her insane appetite, she doesn't seem to get fat at all, if anything it all goes to her chest! Errgghh, so jealous…

Huh, thinking about it now, the Princesses remind me of a cartoon family, with Middia as the mother and the rest as children at different age groups. An adorable little kid with hidden depths, a shy only-sane-woman middle child, two older sisters who can't get along, one stoic (kind of) and one aloof, and a usually-but-not-always refined mother who resorts to violence just a bit too much. There's even a housepet, Neko. True to her name she acts very much like a cat; she doesn't talk much unless she wants something; she likes to stare at me when we're together, then start ignoring me when I actually address her; she can spend ages grooming herself, and she LOVES sleeping, on my bed no less. I even got HQ to send a sofa bed for my office just for her, but no, it has to be MY bed. I don't really mind her using my bed honestly, I'm just afraid one day she'll start rummaging around my sleeping quarters and find this journal somehow. It's not an unfounded fear neither, I almost had a heart attack last week when I came back and found her reading something on my bed, thank god it was just the Da Vinci Code I forgot to put away. I've tried locking the door after that, but then she just sat outside the door staring at me with judgmental eyes. Well, eye, since the other one's covered by that metal stuff. In the end we sort of came to a compromise, she can go sleep inside whenever I'm in the office to keep an eye on her. Still, just like with cats, as haughty as she can be, she's also very adorable, usually when she's asleep, she sort of curls up like a cat and it takes quite a bit of willpower not to pet her. Her two stomach tails also act like cat tails it seems, waving around lazily whenever she's content.

Y'know what, having befriended quite a few of these girls these past weeks, Inazuma's right, even with their quirks, no, especially with their quirks, these girls are as human as any person I've ever known! Hell, they're MORE interesting than most humans I've known. So why…oh. Right. Conscience and empathy. Indeed, perhaps the real reason it feels so pleasant here right now is because we haven't had sorties at all so far. There haven't been any requests for back-up, all we've been doing are patrols and resource gathering. With the lack of combat on my mind, it's easy to forget even the little girl going "Vroom vroom!" with her model airplane in my office every day has killed at least one person, a Big 7 at that. In the end, no matter how human they look or act, they're still inhuman mutants trying to conquer the human race, probably controlled by some alien hive mind at a subconscious level to destroy the enemy. Even Luna doesn't seem to question the fact she has to fight humans and Fleet Girls or their variants. Shame, I think humans, Fleet Girls and Abyssals could probably accomplish great things together under different circumstances…

I haven't forgotten my true mission despite my pleasant time here of course. Judging by how I've been positioned at a relatively minor role despite being an Admiral, the puppetmasters of the Abyss have yet to trust me with any real power. The reinforcements were another sign as well, sending 5 Princesses to me instead of the front line, even if they're a little outdated being aquatic-based Abyssals in the current stage of the war, feels like a bit of a waste. No doubt they're also to act as guards to intimidate and keep me in line just in case, even including Harusame as a treat in the carrot-and-stick routine. If I'm to gain access to the prison locations without raising suspicion, I'll have to earn their trust by deploying support properly when requested…even if it means helping the Abyss win a few more battles and kill more people. Once I've "shown" I'm on their side, using routine security checks as an excuse to visit the prisons on a regular basis shouldn't be a problem. The hard part is after that, but I can't make any reliable plans right now not even knowing the general situation inside those places…

* * *

><p>She almost dropped her pen when a sudden but gentle knock came at the door. With a thoroughly practiced motion, the diary was hidden away back in the compartment in the blink of an eye.<p>

"It's midnight already! Who is it?"

"I-It's me, Luna, yes…I-I-I know it's late, and I'm sorry for bothering you, but…if you don't mind, would you…would you like to go stargazing with me? We could grab a snack, some drinks, get some fresh air…"

There was a moment of silence.

"…I-it's fine if you're not interested…I'll just-"

The door opened, cutting her short and revealing the brunette Admiral, still in her pajamas.

"What do you mean stargazing? We're at the bottom of the ocean! I appreciate the sentiment and all, but unless you know how to get me up there without drowning, there's not much we can do."

"You came here by submarine, yes? We can use that! Or you could travel in one of the transport ships. It's a little small, but it's airtight and-"

"Submarine is fine, feel free to lead the way, Luna." She was NOT going inside one of those Wa-Class things, Cassandra thought. Those things give her nightmares, even more than the Abyssal Light Cruisers do…

They walked down towards the port, or rolled in Luna's case. It wasn't as strong before, but at that moment, in the dimly lit hallways, silent but for the soft whirring of wheels and alone but for admiral and secretary, watching the handicapped Abyssal roll along in her wheelchair made Cass feel a sudden pang of sadness. Why, why was this girl so unlucky? Not only did she have to die in combat due to her commander's incompetence and become one of the monsters she fought so hard to defeat, but even then she was made to suffer such an unexplainable physical handicap after becoming an Abyssal! What did she do to deserve this?

"If you're wondering about my legs…I don't mind them, yes…"

"There are psychic Abyssals now?"

That earned a giggle from Luna.

"No, you're just not a difficult person to understand, commander."

"I'm not sure how I feel about that…"

"I mean that in the best of ways, commander. Even so, I find it a little strange as well…it's like I've known you for a lot longer than a few weeks, yes…"

"Yes…strange…Hey, I thought we were getting a midnight snack to bring first?" The admiral asked as they entered the port.

"I've already taken the liberty to prepare a few things, yes…I hope they're to your liking."

"You knew I'd agree to this from the beginning, didn't you?"

"I hoped so at least…"

The two soon reached the submarine Cassandra had arrived by, and will now exit with. Climbing in, it was Luna who wheeled her way to the controls while the admiral made herself comfy next to some wrapped bento boxes and metal canteens.

"I'm surprised I'm even allowed to leave the base like this unscheduled."

"You underestimate your liberties, commander." With a clank the hatch sealed shut, and the sub shipped out to begin its journey. "I heard the humans had an island mansion to live in back at Iron Bottom Sound before its destruction. A short trip to the surface at your leisure is minor compared to that, yes."

"Surprisingly generous, but I'm not complaining. Hmm, mind if I guess what the snacks are?"

"If you wish to, go ahead."

"Mapo Haru, plus iced chocolate for you and a Long Island for me."

"Yes, in…deed. Is that what noodles are called where you used to live, Haru?"

"…You could say that. It's just an in-joke between me and some close friends of mine."

"I see."

A few minutes of silence. Cassandra made an attempt to look outside the windows, but there was nothing but darkness in the night ocean. Was this what Harusame had been in when she first reawakened as Luna? Or all natural Abyssals for that matter? Alone in the cold, dark abyss of the ocean floor?

"We've arrived, commander." The resulting splash as the sub broke surface confirmed her words. With another clunk the hatch unsealed, and the admiral collected her thoughts and midnight snack before climbing out. As soon as her head emerged from the submarine, she was met with a refreshing gust of salty sea breeze, a godsend after weeks cooped indoors, and the sight she beheld was even more awe-inspiring than she remembered. Countless lights of varying size and color spanned the cloudless heavens, the sky clear enough to see the Milky Way itself, a river of color across the dark sky. There was no land for miles around, the starlit night sky unhindered all the way to the horizon where it met with its own reflection on the ocean surface, as if there were two skies, one above and one below, the latter's peace only broken by the occasional waves. The only sounds to be heard were that of the crashing waves and her own breathing, and as she sat down near the open hatch with bento and drinks in hand, she looked up at what Luna must have been waiting for, the star of this grand spectacle.

"A full moon. It's beautiful, yes?" The Abyssal sat down beside her, having left the wheelchair inside.

"Yeah. It definitely is." Without another word, the admiral handed Luna's snacks back, opened her own, and took a bite. It's been too long since the last time…the aroma, the taste, her cooking, it's been too long...

"I-Is it too spicy, commander?"

"No…it's perfect." She shook her head and wiped the tears away. They sat there, the cold but gentle wind blowing against their skin, enjoying the view, the food, and the company. Time has a funny way of passing, doesn't it, the admiral mused. It's really only been months since they've last done something like this together, yet to her, it had felt like years; and once again, time had decided to be a fickle mistress that night, hours passing in the blink of an eye.

…

*yawn*

"Tired, commander?"

"A little…"

"I suppose it is about time, yes…shall we head back then?"

"*yawn* Yeah, sure…"

The now empty bento boxes and canteens packed away, the admiral and her secretary climbed back inside and soon began their descent. Cassandra had expected a quiet and uneventful trip, but after a few minutes, Luna proved there would be one more surprise.

"Are you ready for the encore, commander?"

"Encore? What encore?"

"Look outside and you'll find out."

"What's outside? There was nothing but dark…" Lights. Floating, pulsing lights filled the original void she saw on their ascent, like stars in the sky. Other beings soon entered the fray, jellyfish lined with twinkling lights of vibrant colors, all manner of bizarre deep sea life revealed by the stars of the sea. To Cassandra, it was almost as if they were traveling through the cosmos itself, looking out at the countless distant stars, strange yet beautiful alien creatures swimming through the endless space gracefully.

"These fluorescent plankton appear around this hour, attracting other life to them. It's a scene not witnessed by many non-Abyssals I'd imagine, yes…What do you think, commander?"

"It's…it's beautiful. Thanks for giving me the privilege to see this, Luna!"

"My pleasure…" The Abyssal looked back at she who was still marveling at the underwater lightshow. Why, why did the commander feel so familiar to her? Right from the start she felt a strong attachment to this person, and even though she had her doubts after their rough meeting and first day, that feeling's only gotten stronger with each passing day. Everything they've done together so far, the physical training, the stories and jokes they share, even what happened just now gave her a strong sense of déjà vu. Stargazing, mapo noodles, the Long Island, it was as if she knew all of her favourites by instinct. She had made herself some noodles and iced chocolate despite those being human food. Even calling the noodles "Mapo Haru" sounded natural to her for a second. What was going on? Perhaps… "Ah, we're back." That thought will have to be for another time then, yes…


	3. Chapter 3 - Insights

"You sure you wanna spar with me? Normally I'd suggest Yorky instead since she's the weakest sans you, but since she's buggered off with Middi on their little business trip to Europe you'll just have to skip level 1 then~ Still, Hoppy might be a better choice instead? She IS tougher than me, but not nearly as skilled, you'll have an easier time dodging, y'know?"

They were on the open ocean, 3 Abyssal Princesses and their admiral. Finally time for an advanced practice battle with a fellow Princess class, Luna was about to face off against Hornet, with Hoppou and Cassandra as audience.

"I want to grow stronger as fast as I can, yes…even if it means a bit more difficulty, practicing with you should be a better learning experience."

"Aww, you're making me blush~ Well, Cassie did say not to underestimate you, so I won't hold back then~! I hope you're not in over your head, Lunie, even practice rounds still hurt! On the count of 3, ready? 1…2 3!"

A barrage of cannonfire assaulted Luna within a split second, violent splashes erupting from the previously calm ocean surface wherever the shells landed. None of them had found their target, but wave after wave followed close behind after the Destroyer Princess, her leg thrusters speeding her frail-looking body along just above the water like a rocket, ducking and weaving amongst Hornet's attacks. After a series of acrobatic-like evasions, a chance finally revealed itself, and Luna redirected her thrusters, launching herself up to the Princess who was still lounging on her Demon while it reloaded. "Take this!" Both her Demons and her handcannon opened fire at once, before the flying Princess barely dodged the heavy armored boot crashing down from above.

"SKULL CAVER!" The Carrier Water Princess finished her somersault kick, landing neatly on the water before bouncing up again. "CRESCENT KICK!" Thanks to the air control Luna's thrusters gave, the mid-air roundhouse missed by an inch from her head. With another backflip, the Carrier landed back on her fully reloaded Demon, just a scratch on her sweater to show for Luna's effort, and it was back to evasive maneuvers for the trainee until the next opening.

* * *

><p>A safe distance away atop their submarine, Cassandra put down her binoculars and took another sip of hot coffee, the Northern Princess beside her, polishing her model Reppu and dangling her feet off the side, humming a little tune.<p>

"A defensive style, like before…she sure has grown stronger since becoming an Abyssal…even at her best, I doubt Harusame would've gotten out of that unscathed…I guess as much as it sucks to lose her legs, the thruster modifications more than make up for it in a fight…still, fighter drones aren't even in play yet…destroyers just aren't meant to work alone, are they, even a Princess class…"

"Pou?" The little Princess looked up at her inquisitively, not having actually paid any attention to what was said.

"Oh nothing, just muttering to myself, that's all." She went back to spectating for a bit. Luna had launched two dud torpedoes at the opposing Demon's main guns, though only one found its mark, the other knocked away by a flying kick. In a real battle, targeting the flight decks would have been a better option, but it seems Luna wanted her opponent to use drones for practice purposes. Then again, in a real battle, kicking a torpedo is probably not the best choice neither, even if Hornet's boots could take the hit with ease. Looking back at the little Princess beside her, a sense of curiosity slowly came over the admiral.

"Actually…Hoppou?"

"Pou?"

"Do you actually know why we're fighting?"

"Mmhmm, to defeat the bad humans and Fleet Girls!"

"…Why are they 'bad'?"

"Because they hate us and want to hurt us! The bad humans control the Fleet Girls and make them fight us, even though we're relatives, but when we defeat them they become our friends again! We have to beat the bad humans so they stop hurting us!" How's that for a different perspective, the admiral thought.

"And do you know why the 'bad humans' want to hurt the Abyssals?"

"I don't know…didn't they start attacking us first? We live here, but they don't want us to…I don't remember living anywhere else, so we must live here, right?"

Uhh…she doesn't know they're alien invaders? She seems to think humanoid Abyssals like herself came first before the Fleet Girls too. Do other Abyssals think they're just fighting for their rightful home too? That's a question she'll have to ask someone else, maybe Middia or even Luna. For now though, while she was at it, there was another more…morbid, question she wanted to ask the little Princess.

"Another thing. Do you…remember the battle at Rhode Island?"

"Rhode…?"

"The place where there were lots of people fighting?"

"Mmm…Ah! I remember!" The little girl seemed excited all of a sudden.

"Do you mind telling me what happened there?"

"There were lots of people in the distance, things going BOOM! PEW PEW! Lots of planes everywhere too! Vrroooooomm, atatatatatat, BOOM!" She started doing a sort of pantomime, trying to imitate the explosions, waving her toy Reppu around animatedly. It would've been adorable, Cassandra thought, if not for the context. "Mama told me to stay there and send my toys out to help our friends fight the bad Fleet Girls, so I did! I didn't want to lose my toys, but mama said it was important. I was a good girl, so I sent many toys out! I couldn't see what happened to them though, all the people were too far, and Dutch helps pilot them, not me." She gave her Demon a pat on the head. "But then! But then some Fleet Girls came over!" This was the part Cassandra was waiting for. "There were 3 of them, one of them was very big, with very big guns! They were breaking the toys I just sent and they looked very mad! It was so scary! But then they saw me and stopped being mad!" What? "They looked more…what's the word…AH! Confuzzeled!" I don't blame them, the admiral thought. One would've expected facing a fearsome foe like Middia or that giantess Seaport Princess, not a cute little kid. "They looked confuzzeled and stopped in front of me. But they were still very scary, their big guns were pointing at me and stuff, they looked like they wanted to hurt me, and mama wasn't nearby to help…"

"What did you do then?"

"I told them to stay away and go home!"

"…Huh?"

"Auntie Darwin said to always tell the bad people to leave first if they get too close! Maybe they're not so bad and will listen, and everyone's happy! But they didn't leave that time…so I did what mama taught me instead!"

The admiral felt a chill down her spine. Considering 'mama's usual way of solving disputes… "…Which was?"

"Kick them in the shins and punch them in the face! Pou! *kick* Pou! *punch* I kicked the big scary lady first, there was a crunchy cracky sound and she yelled and fell down, then I punched her! Pou! Right in the kisser! The sound came again and her head was at a funny angle. No not funny HAHA funny, funny weeiiirrddd! It hurts when I try to turn my head that way, but she stopped yelling afterwards so that's good right? And then the other two-"

"Okay that's enough, thanks Hoppou." The admiral looked away in a hurry. The Northern Princess just looked a little confused and went back to polishing her plane. God, why did she even ask that?! She wasn't exactly expecting a light-hearted tale of sunshine and rainbows, but it was still far too grim coming from the young child sitting next to her. And in such an excited tone too… Somehow, the child's sense of innocence only made the admiral feel more unnerved. She didn't seem to understand the pain and suffering both herself and her "toys" had caused, only that "she helped beat the bad guys". That level of naivety should be admittedly normal for a child, and from her point of view it was self-defense, not to mention killing Fleet Girls is a twisted version of Defeat Means Friendship for Abyssals, but it was still unsettling for Cassandra. She wondered what Hoppou would think if she was told the true nature of her kind…no, perhaps it's best she stays with her happy little worldview for now. Invader or not, a child doesn't need a burden like that. Her intentions were still innocent enough. Perhaps there might be some ways to "rehabilitate" her one day, letting her live like a normal kid without committing mass murder every once in awhile? Not happening while this war's still raging though.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she looked back out at the ongoing practice battle. The drones have finally been sent out, and poor Luna wasn't doing too well, unable to shoot them down faster than they're sent out, a torrent of bb shots raining down from all directions. After allowing her a few more minutes of struggle, Cassandra finally blew the whistle and signaled the end of practice.

* * *

><p>"Hey, no worries, you did well for a lone destroyer! A few more times and you can probably stomp Yorky already! Anyway, why don't you head for the docks first? I'll catch up later, a certain someone's magazines should have just arrived and I, uhh, need to deliver it to her room. Later~" With that the Carrier Water Princess skipped away, leaving a battered Luna and the admiral behind, Hoppou having already returned to her room for a nap.<p>

"…Part of me wants to stop her, but part of me wants to see what happens."

"I think it's best to look the other way, yes…"

"So, how was practice?" The two headed off to the docks together, which was more like a bathhouse than anything, with repair nanite serum instead of water. There was even a separate water pool just for the admiral.

"Tiring and painful, but I believe I've improved a lot from it, yes…would it be possible for me to have a few teammates for the next practice? I feel if an opponent like Miss Hornet was truly serious, I would be overwhelmed on my own no matter my experience…"

"You're not wrong, destroyers do function best as the support of a team against particularly strong foes, distracting the enemy so heavy hitters like battleships can land a solid blow, or attacking the weakpoints of an already distracted foe. I'll see about assigning a few allies for you next time, maybe Woverly and Neko. Coordination is as important if not more so than individual skill afterall."

"Yes, indeed…Ah, we've arrived. Care to join me for a bath, commander?"

"Gladly!"

* * *

><p>It was days later. Luna was away on an emergency expedition with Neko and Woverly, and everyone else who didn't just return from Europe, so Middia filled in as temporary secretary at the admiral's request.<p>

"…It's hard to believe we had that much bauxite yesterday. HAD."

"I apologize for our appetite, but there's little we can do. Large amount of resources are required for my Demon to construct Drones and for me to maintain my strength."

"Yeah yeah, I understand…hey, Middia, I was reading through your files again and I got a bit curious."

"Oh? Is something wrong, Lady Admiral?"

"Nah, I was just wondering why you decided to change your own name. Pearl's not that bad, was it?"

"…That name made me feel weak. I felt as if it implied I was a frail, dainty princess hiding within the safe confines of my castle, and the notion upset me, so I requested to change it after hearing of my designation by the humans. As you may have noticed, it is a popular practice amongst us Abyssals to create names derived from our given designation, and I felt it more fitting if I did the same."

"So that's how it is. I can respect that actually, I'd hate people thinking I needed protection too. I want to protect others, not the other way around." If only she had the strength to actually do so like Middia, she mused. With the icebreaker out of the way, it was time for the real question she had in mind. "If you don't mind, I was talking with Hoppou the other day, and I have another honest question for you."

"Feel free to ask, Lady Admiral."

"…Do you understand the origins of the Abyssal Fleet and why you're, we're, fighting the Fleet Girls and other humans?"

"…I see. Little Hoppou was too young, so I gave her a simple half-truth. I, however, do understand our history, gratitude to a few conversations I had before transferring to this base of operations. I believe the true question here is, do YOU know of our true history?"

The admiral had expected answers, not questions. "W-What…from our understanding, your overlords crashed into our planet's oceans many years ago, using the Abyss nanites to create what we now call Abyssal Destroyers and Light Cruisers possibly from shipwrecks and human corpses to attack our ocean traffic and increase their own ranks. The Faeries then came, another alien race at war with your overlords. They claimed your overlords were intergalactic conquerors looking to conquer our planet, and gave us the technology to fight back by creating Fleet Girls through controlled infusion of Abyss nanites with compatible humans. However, the nanites go rogue after the Fleet Girls' deaths, reanimating them as Abyssals themselves. Am I wrong?"

"Did your kind notice a change in the behavior of your Abyssal foes at any point, Lady Admiral?"

Another unexpected question, one that stumped the admiral this time. A change in behavior? What did she mean? From their discovery, the Abyssals have always attacked humans and any ships they spotted, what could…wait…did that count? The Abyssal Destroyers and Light Cruisers had acted like wild beasts at first, attacking any and everything in sight. Despite not knowing how to destroy them, the invaders were barely even considered intelligent, merely feral monsters emerged from the deep! It was only after the Faeries came that the invaders showed any sign of coordination or planning, ambushing targets of military interest and actually using some semblance of strategy in a fight before the first Fleet Girls even sank, so it wasn't like Fleet Girl Abyssals became pseudo-leaders or anything, eventually to a point where it was officially speculated there were unknown beings directing the Abyssals from behind the scenes. Their behavior HAD changed, from mere wild beasts to a coordinated navy!

"I assume from your expression of realization you've noticed. The person who I acquired this information from requested discretion, so I will refrain from entering the details, but you may find the following fact of interest. Prior to that certain point, all aggression from our side had been purely accidental."

Wh…what? What does that mean?

"From that point however, the surrender of your fellow humans, not their destruction, became our leaders' intended goal, and we have acted as such. For most of us, this objective is faintly etched into our subconscious from the moment we awaken as Abyssals, and become a natural, unquestioned fact once we are consciously informed of it. We battle the human forces and their allies, that is our purpose. For some special cases however, such as little Hoppou and a few uncommon others, this 'instinct' is absent. Instead, they fight merely out of necessity, for your kind will destroy them like any other of the Abyss if given the chance. That is my understanding from persistence and personal experience, Lady Admiral."

"Is…is that so. Do any others know that much?"

"Not many. Some understand as much as little Hoppou, others understand we are invaders, but don't much care for the moral grounds of our position. Yet others fight simply because their companions do so."

"And you then, Middia? You know what you used to be, the reason for this war and probably more. Why do you fight? Because the 'instincts' make you?"

"Perhaps. My subconscious programming may have had more of an influence on my decisions than I realize, but I believe I fight because it's too late for an alternative."

"Too late?"

"Both factions have come very far in this struggle. Blood and sweat have been shed, and losses have been severe for all involved. Our leaders are unwilling to leave, or perhaps even unable to leave. As a fellow human, even if we were to explain our position and reasoning, do you sincerely believe your kind would allow us to stay if we surrendered, after all we've done, without a dangerous level of mistrust or even our essential enslavement?"

"…No. I don't."

"Then there is nothing we can do but struggle to the end."

…

"You seem pretty cynical of us humans, don't you…even though I can't deny what you said. Is that also part of your…instinct?"

"I don't believe so. Our programming isn't as strong and all-encompassing as you seem to assume, there were once those with the will to question and reject it."

"Keyword being 'once'…What happened?"

"It's a tale I heard from a different source. In the early years of the war, there was once a small group of Abyssals who wanted to return to the humans, knowing they had once been on the same side and assuming they would be accepted and pave the way for a peaceful resolution."

It took her a few seconds to make the connection, and when she did, her heart sank like an anchor. She wished she couldn't remember the rumors. She wished she couldn't guess what happened. "…They were never heard from again?"

"One returned, the one who told me of this diplomatic attempt. From your expression, your knowledge of the details in what happened is as good as mine, but such attempts never occurring again since is something I am certain of."

The admiral took a deep breath and looked down at the documents on her desk, not really paying attention, just not wanting to meet the Princess' gaze any further. Those horrible rumors circulating the military were true then. Why, WHY! Those f*cking TRASH! This might all have been ended peacefully YEARS ago, but instead the chance was WASTED for some so-called "experiments" that gave barely any results, of course the real motivation was less science and more just plain revenge, and…oh god, she didn't even want to think of what else those filth did. As if just hunting and killing them wasn't enough, no wonder the Abyssals are so gung-ho about attacking mankind. "I'm just…I'm sorry, for her…for them." There wasn't much else she could say.

"If it consoles you any, Lady Admiral, most of us understand not all humans act that way. You're an excellent example of a human we would trust."

"…Thanks." Her, a human they could trust. How ironic…

Suddenly, the melancholic atmosphere was smashed into smithereens by a familiar scream of rage that resonated through the entire base.

"**HORNET YOU BIIIITTTTCCCHHHH!"**

The two shared a collective sweatdrop.

"…Want to go check it out, Middia?"

"…I suppose I must, Lady Admiral. Perhaps I'll visit the mess hall afterwards, our conversation has left me a little…peckish."

"…Try to restrain yourself, we need to do things other than expeditions…"

* * *

><p>312/20XX

Ah, feeling awfully relaxed right now despite my conversation with Middia. Thank you, Hornet, I needed that, but I'll get to that later. In a similar way I hope writing about her antics at the end of this entry will cheer me up just before bed, get the more somber stuff out of the way first.

So, my chat with Middia. Originally I wanted to ask Luna first after story time with Hoppou, but the bath was so relaxing I kind of just forgot about it for awhile, and by the time it came back up in my head good ol' Middia ended up causing a severe resource shortage in the span of hours after she came back and I had to deal with THAT, so with Luna off on resource gathering duty along with most everyone else, I'd just have to make do with someone else instead. That said, perhaps talking to Middia about the topic worked out for me, though I also kind of regret asking, much like with Hoppou and the whole Big 7 ordeal. Like, I've gained a lot of insight about Abyssals but there are some things I really wouldn't mind not knowing.

Sometimes, I really have to try hard to convince myself humanity IS worth fighting for. I like to tell myself most people aren't like those trash and deserve to be protected, but I'm not sure how much I believe in that myself anymore. Nowadays my girls are my biggest encouragement. They risked their lives on a regular basis to protect me and the rest of mankind when we were the ones who dumped this duty on them in the first place. Whether they really volunteered for it or not, they sacrificed EVERYTHING, their families, their memories, their very identities, all so they can gain the power to fight for US. They deserve to live in a peaceful world if no one else, and I WILL do whatever I can to help make that happen.

Yet at the same time, I can't help but feel sorry for the Abyssals. They're really the same as the Fleet Girls which they once were, forced into war with no way out until one side is destroyed. No doubt there ARE some real sociopaths among them considering their reduced empathy, but it's not like most of them even have a choice to not fight. Hive mind control aside, surrendering only leads to a fate worse than death, considering what happened to that poor, poor diplomatic party. It's not like I expect them to be welcomed with open arms after what us mankind had to go through thanks to the Abyss, but FOR F*CK'S SAKE at LEAST follow the Geneva Convention! They even used to BE humans for crying out loud! It's not even STRATEGICALLY sound, if enemies from a group with superior strength suddenly come surrender to you, I'd have thought the logical move would be to treat them well and encourage more enemies to defect, show you're BETTER than the leaders on their side and that there's no reason to fight. There HAD to be a reason they gave themselves up all of a sudden when they had the upper hand, either because their own side treated them badly or they disagree with their own side's goals, right? But no, some f*cking retards decided taking some petty revenge and acting on their barbaric urges were a better idea, and look where THAT'S gotten us. As far as I know even the top brass knew about it and didn't give a damn, so it's not like it was just some small group of savages acting on their own.

Then there's also the Abyssals' own leaders, the mysterious puppetmasters. What did she mean when she said it was accidental? From what I can garner, something changed within the leadership of the Abyss around that point when the Abyssals actually became coordinated, and everything prior to that was accidental. What, were the Abyssal nanites some kind of weapon that leaked out when they arrived on Earth, and by the time they had the means to recontain them we'd already essentially waged war so they just said "Screw it, we'll roll with it"? That seems so trivial and stupid, but I really can't see another explanation to what Middia said…Plus, considering whoever these secret Abyssal Lords are actually allowed that Harrison fellow to retire with the Abyssal 6thDesDiv after they essentially led to the destruction of IBS with their little coup, their general hospitality towards me and the other human turncoats (they sounded more like mercs honestly) that I've heard of and experienced so far despite trying to conquer our species at the same time, and of course their kind of annoying sense of humor like their love of surprises, they seem aloof enough to actually wage a war on such a trivial reason…And what does this intel have to do with me? Should this knowledge affect my plans somehow? I can't really see how since it's all just speculation on my part right now, but…Gah, this is so frustrating, I need more concrete answers! TELL ME YOUR SECRETS, LORDS OF THE ABYSS!

I'm getting a bit too pissed off aren't I? Guess it's time to cheer myself up a little. So, remember when Hornet was talking about delivering magazines? From what I know she'd been spending a lot of time in Yorktown's room while she was still in Europe. I didn't really ask her what she was doing, that was obvious, and, let's face it, it IS fun as hell to watch them prank each other. As it turned out, those large stacks of paper I saw her lugging around weren't exactly magazines.

So after Yorktown came back late last night she headed for the docks while Middia set about cleaning us out of our resources. She was a bit extra battered this time so she spent like over 12 hours sitting there, no doubt bored out of her mind, I know I'd be if I had to sit somewhere for 12 straight hours, so I gave her some bubble wrap to pass the time with. While Middia and I were having our little chat, Yorktown was finally done with her repairs and headed back to her room…where she saw what we saw a few minutes later after we heard her scream bloody murder from across the base. And it was glorious.

Nicholas Cage faces, EVERYWHERE! On every poster, every magazine, even the BOBBLEHEADS, every single handsome, muscular and naked-to-varying-degrees men had their faces replaced by Cage at his finest. Hornet even used superglue, so there's no hope of recovery! Poor Yorktown's in the docks AGAIN now, Middia had to knock her out after the poor thing started frothing at the mouth. I have to wonder where Hornet even got that many Cage faces. Hell, how did she even know Cage exists? Maybe she knew someone from HQ who supplied that stuff, that's the only base with internet afterall. Either way, she's probably going to have hell to pay once she gets back. I already asked Middia to keep a closer eye on them to make sure they don't wreck the base in their imminent face-off.

Yeah, I certainly feel better now after that, I suppose it pays to have some lively staff. On a more serious note before I go to bed however, it's almost time. One more major support mission and I'll try my luck convincing the Abyssal HQ to grant me access to the prison locations. Then once I evaluate their security and find my girls, it'll be breakout time.

It's a reckless plan really, but it's all we have, and we only have one chance to turn the tide. The sudden assault from the freed Fleet Girls should provide the distraction we need to push the Abyss back to the sea…at least we hope so. I mean, there's a matter of the Fleet Girls' equipment, surely it's all been smelted away by now? They wouldn't just keep their weapons in the prisons for them to use, would they? Didn't even think of that before…Even a Big 7 doesn't stand much of a chance against a squad of battleships without her armaments, much less Res and Chimeras…That aside, even WITH equipment, it's not like the Abyssals haven't beaten them before. Sure a global breakout like that SHOULD cause a panic and temporarily reduce Abyssal land forces to stop the Fleet Girls, giving OUR land forces the chance they need to zerg the weakened defense lines, but the Fleet Girls would…oh no. Oh please no. Why, why didn't I see this before?! I was so desperate for a chance to save Yuu and the others I never realized the truth! They planned this from the start and made sure I wouldn't realize it until it was too late! THOSE F*CKING TRASH! No, there has to be a way around this. They're waiting for me. I have to get them out before the Abyss decides it's not worth keeping them around and begins assimilation, but even if I do get them out…

F*ck, my head hurts…So much for cheering myself up. Maybe some sleep will clear things…must be a way to save them…must be…


	4. Chapter 4 - First Blood

7/12/20XX

Today has been…lonely. This has been the only day where I've had the entire base to myself, and a few more like this to come considering the girls won't be coming back for at least 3 days. Without the expedition and patrol reports the paperwork has seriously lightened up, so it's practically like a holiday to me, and it has been…when I could get my mind off WHERE my girls are and WHAT they're doing. Not exactly much for me to do though without internet. For the most part I just took the sub back up to the surface with some food and a good book and spent the afternoon relaxing to the fresh air. I really need to find some hobbies, but I'm probably too old to take one up by now…yeah I'm just in my early thirties, but still, people like artists and musicians start in their childhood, AND they usually have inborn talent, unlike me. Oh well, reading's not that bad.

Anyway, this should be the one then. All of the girls are off to Paris to aid the final push there, once they return I'll send my prison inspection request to HQ. I should be happy all things considered, now I'm one step closer to freeing Yuu and the others…but I just can't shake this sour feeling in my stomach…it's like knowing I did horribly during an exam and now all I can do is sit here waiting for the score to see how bad I screwed up.

Plans have changed slightly. This world does need its sacrifices, but if those trash back at the military think they can manipulate us however they want any further they can think again. Even if humanity's fate depends on me and the Fleet Girls, if we're doing this, we're doing this my way. For now however, I'm more worried about Luna…this is her first actual sortie against the human forces. I doubt any harm will come to her, but if it's a fight, that means she'll have to…maybe she DOESN'T have to. Inazuma never directly killed anyone even after becoming an Abyssal and she's had more than a few sorties. The odds are low, and Inazuma was explicitly given shields to defend with, but…I can dream, right? Hoping for the best, for hers and mine.

* * *

><p>Explosions and carnage everywhere. The Destroyer Princess thought the scene familiar, yet she was still unprepared. Contrary to battles on the wide open ocean, the rubble and the dead don't simply disappear beneath the churning waves, and there was no water to wash away the blazing embers that consumed building after building. How pretty this place might've been before the battle began, she mourned. Hovering just above the buildings, she could see a singular tower reaching up to the sky amidst a sea of orange, created by the setting sun and the raging inferno that surrounded it. Chased away from the main group by a squad of Witches, it had taken her awhile to force their retreat, and now she'd have to make her way back…huh? What's that sound? It sounded like…someone crying down there? And now a loud crumbling…!<p>

She wasn't sure why she did what she did. A second later and both her and the child would've been buried under the falling rubble, but she had dived down anyway and lifted him up in the nick of time. The boy had stopped crying, now held in Luna's arms. He was maybe…8? All the civilians should have evacuated now, did he get separated from his parents somehow?

"Merci, Mlle Witch! Tu me as sauvé!"

What did he say? She couldn't understand him, but it seemed he thought she was one of the Witches? She supposed it was somewhat similar the way they flew, yes…Better he think of her as an ally instead of an enemy anyway.

"Uhh…do you understand English?"

The kid just shook his head with a look of confusion. Looks like she won't be getting any information off of him. However, if the intelligence was correct, the escape convoys should all have headed east. If she flew that way, maybe she'll find someone she can hand him to? Wait, what was she doing? She had to get back to the others, she didn't have time to fly solo into the midst of the enemy just to hand a random human child back! But…she couldn't just leave him here all alone, not now… It wouldn't take too long, yes?

"Alright, just hang on tightly!"

* * *

><p>Could anything else go wrong today? The blonde Tank Maiden wondered as she rollerskated alongside the convoy with her 3 sisters. Conway got shot up and needed medical attention, the entire west has been overwhelmed, Delta Squad identified Northern and F*CKING MIDWAY before their feed cut off…She's always called Conway a Negative Nancy but for once, she's starting to believe it herself, they're going to die here aren't they? There's far too many enemies and they only keep getting stronger…No, no they are NOT dying here! They're going to escort this last convoy of civilians to safety, get Conway patched up and then get the hell out of this place alive! She was too young to die, there was still so much she wanted to do, and getting blown up by those Abyssal gits was the last thing on the list!<p>

Just then she noticed something coming at them from the air. Squinting, it didn't take long to identify the rapidly incoming object.

"Look out, some kind of new Witch Abyssal incoming! Get ready to- WAIT NO DON'T SHOOT, SHE HAS A HOSTAGE! She's holding a kid hostage!" There's a kid riding piggy back on her! Was this for real?! What did this git want, to force the convoy to turn around so they'd get more hostages? Use the kid as a meat shield while she took out the escort force? Meanwhile, one of the survivors, some crying woman in the convoy had heard her shout and poked her head out even, what the hell you crazy bint, you wanna get shot or something?

"R…Richard?"

"MAMAN! Ce est maman! Se dépêcher, Mlle Witch!"

Oh great, it's even mother and son, as if this didn't need to get more complicated. Huh, Witch? Did the kid think he's with a Witch? The Abyssal's coming closer now, they'll have to do something, but if they shot her down the poor kid's going to go tumbling to the ground at a less-than-healthy velocity…actually, something's not right here, shouldn't the Abyssal be holding him in FRONT of herself to meat shield with? Ah, she's reaching back to grab him and hold him out now, speak of the devil. That STILL doesn't explain why she's coming so close tho-

"Quickly, take him!"

"H-Huh?" Utterly confused, the Tank Maiden cautiously lowered her gun and took the boy from the flying Abyssal, who zoomed up into the air and did a u-turn back the way she came immediately, as if afraid they'd shoot her…which WAS what they were planning to do before she just handed the kid over. With a little difficulty, the mother, now crying tears of joy instead, retrieved her son through the window, who was still waving goodbye to the strangely altruistic Abyssal. That was…weird, the Tank Maiden thought. No complaints though, that went much better than expected, the less trouble the better. However there was no time to celebrate, they had to stay alert. She doubted the next Abyssal they come across would be so nice.

* * *

><p>That was nerve-wracking, the Destroyer Princess breathed a sigh of relief as she sped back to where her fellows should be. Why did she risk herself just to get the boy to safety? That spent a lot of valuable time, and she could've gotten both the kid and herself shot! She wasn't tough like the other Princesses and the boy weighed her down, if she ran into more Witches or those Tank Maidens opened fire…She couldn't just LEAVE the poor boy trapped in a war zone though! It didn't feel right to do so. Plus, the second she saw the boy's eyes full of hope when she first rescued him, she knew she couldn't just abandon him. At least the deed was done now, he's safe and she can head back, yes…Somehow she felt her commander would approve of what she just did, even if it was technically helping the enemy.<p>

It wasn't too hard to find the main group again after that considering the ruckus and carnage in their wake. Despite orders to keep collateral damage to a minimum, subtlety was not the two Demons' forte. That and the initial shelling to scatter the enemy's line of defense hit a gas pipeline and the whole city went to hell from there… Maybe one day when they've taken over they can rebuild this city and all the other ones to their former glory…hopefully in the near future, yes…but now wasn't the time to think about that. Shaking her head and refocusing on the task at hand, she suddenly noticed something, or should she say someone, up in the air. The faint silhouette of a cloaked Witch was hovering there, aiming a portable railgun down at the Abyssals. It'd be next to impossible to see the cloaker from even beyond 50 meters, but within that she could just about see the shimmering figure. Luna's heart raced; a weapon like that could pierce even a Princess, she had to do something! The floating sniper had her back turned towards the Abyssal, this was her chance! She raised her armcannon, took aim, and…

It was at that moment a strong gust of wind struck them both, causing a slight misaim right when they fired, yet with a severe difference in results.

"OW, MY LEG!" The sniper Witch's shot missed Yorktown's head, striking the nearby Hornet. Instead of a critical injury for the former, it just smashed a large chunk of armored boot off the later with some extra bruising. "WHO DID THAT?! Oh, Lunie, you already got her. We were just wondering where you flew off to, nice shot!"

But it wasn't a nice shot, not for Luna. She was aiming for the sniper's legs to break her Flight Unit and force her to the ground…instead, the Witch had been forced to the ground…by a gaping hole in her chest. The flying Abyssal could only watch as the slain sniper's cloak disengaged, dropped her gun, looked down at where her lungs used to be, desperately but futilely tried to cover the hole with hands twitching from the suffocation and agonizing pain, before both she and her Flight Unit expired and crashed onto the rooftop beneath. In that moment, everything else seemed to fade from focus, it was as if time itself had slowed down, allowing her to take in every detail of her handiwork while she tried to process what she'd done. She just…she just KILLED someone…she wasn't trying to, but…it was her JOB to kill them though, it was only natural! She was SUPPOSED to do that! So why did it feel like there was a hole through her OWN chest? Why did she feel so horrible watching her target writhe in pain?! WHY-

"POTEZ! COMMENT OSEZ-VOUS, MONSTRE-"

BOOM…eh? That explosion brought the rest of the world back. Who was that screaming just now? What just splashed on her back? Why was one of the barrels on Hornet's Demon smoking, pointing just next to Luna…? With a growing sense of dread, the Destroyer Princess slowly turned her head to look. It was another Witch, likely sisters with the one she shot down based on their matching Flight Units. She was likely speeding towards Luna with that white-hot sword just before the shot stopped her dead, literally. What used to be the right half of her upper torso was still flying away from the hole that took its place; yet nothing disturbed Luna more than the split second where their eyes met before the life ebbed out and the corpse fell away to join her sister's, a split second that felt like a decade. The emotions she saw, the agony, the despair, but most of all, the sheer hatred…

"Geez, that was close! There, we're even, now stop spacing out and lets- Whoah there, you alright?"

"Did you eat something wrong, Luna? Why are you throwing up?"

"Ah she probably just saw your face, Yorky!"

"Shall I erase yours, insect?"

"Go ahead and try, Yorky! Don't worry, if I end up erasing yours instead, I have JUST the thing for it~! Finally you can fap to yourself, you'll look just like all the beefcakes in your room!"

"I WILL END YOU!"

Normally Luna would be giggling at their banter, but she was in no mood for that then. Looking down at the two sisters who had been murdered in cold blood, all she could do was wipe the puke off her chin, and give the two Witches one last salute of mournful respect…before the bombs implanted in them suddenly detonated after sensing disappearance of vital signs. Why…what…the corpses…where the corpses were…there's…on the floor…the WALLS…ALL OVER HER…EVEryWHeRE…HRRRRGG…After some time, Luna wiped the puke away again, not much left in her stomach after the second time, before continuing the mission, trying her best to ignore the blood and gore that soaked into her hair and clothes. Hopefully these would be the last deaths she'd see, much less cause, that day…that was already too much…yes…

* * *

><p>"Clean diagonal bisection, and a hole to gouge the bomb out. Is this your work, Yorktown?"<p>

"Yep, Yorky did it. There was some kind of insult rap battle going on, that girl called Yorky some particularly fruity names at the end and she took exception to that~"

"Shut up, she didn't ask you, insect."

It was two days later. The fires have all but died down, the surviving human forces retreated, the remaining Abyssals securing the perimeter and salvaging what they can from their fallen foes. A lone Tank Maiden stayed buried under some rubble. Try as she might, she had grown too exhausted to move the concrete off her legs, and was stuck there ever since the scuffle that left her there for dead. As the voices drew closer, she considered setting off the bomb in her body, but the images of her own comrades violent demises stayed her hand, unable to go through with it. All she could do was close her tear-filled eyes tightly and grit her teeth as the rubble was easily picked up and tossed away, cursing herself for her own weakness.

Before she even dared open her eyes, something impaled itself into her body, just below her ribs, forcing a scream of agony from her before the object was removed. "Oi, guys! Got a live one o'er here!" Through the pain-induced hazy vision, she could see a Re-Class jumping and shouting before throwing a red chunk of something from her bloodied hand high into the air, where it soon exploded, making everyone flinch except the Tank Maiden herself, who could only slump down again in absolute defeat. It was too late now, she was completely at her enemies' mercy.

"Good throw Reggie~ F*cking bombs…" The Wo-Class and two Princesses hurried over to their companion. They beheld her for a second, her tattered and torn army uniform, destroyed armaments, both legs crushed along with her tank treads, and the fresh bloody hole where her self-destruct device used to be. The Abyssals weren't much better off themselves, all of them with some part wrapped in bloodied bandages and many smaller wounds they didn't bother dealing with yet covering their bodies. She tried to say something, but the pain was too great, and all that came out were strained wheezes and groans.

"Hey Woverly, bandage her up before she bleeds out, R&D's gonna love this~" The one she recognized as the Carrier Water Princess waved her hand, signaling for the Wo-Class to patch their prize up. However much she wished to object, she couldn't find the strength, and the Tank Maiden could only sit there allowing the one known as Woverly to treat her wounds, namely her legs and the one caused by the Re-Class who was staring at her curiously. Wincing from the frequent jolts of pain, she gave Reggie a glare for her current predicament, earning a "playful" bop on the head which still hurt like hell.

"Oi, don't glare at me for getting that outta ya system! Ya should've seen what happened to one a' ya flying friends I couldn't get ta on time! SPLOOSH, blood and stuff ALL o'er my face, and it ain't mine! Found an arm left, not much ta do with that! Bleh, just thinking about it makes me want a shower…" Should've seen? The only reason I'm still here for you to taunt is because I HAVE seen what happened, you psychotic bint, the Tank Maiden thought resentfully. By then even anger was becoming too tiring an emotion, so she closed her eyes and let the Wo-Class finish up, somewhat appreciative of her silence, at least compared to the carefree chatter her fellow Abyssals were having. She ignored them, it was mostly just the two Princesses mocking each other over their respective injuries anyway. Eventually she could feel the pain dull and relaxed herself, considering and dismissing the thought of thanking the enemy medic.

"That should do, thanks Woverly~" The Princess did it for her anyway. "Reggie, drop her by Lunie, she can keep an eye on her for now."

"What happened ta Luna anyways? She seems really outta it…"

"I dunno, same reason Middi kept Hoppy off the front line I guess. Exploding corpses aren't pretty, but she'll get over it~ We did, didn't we?"

Curious of who this Lunie or Luna person is, the Tank Maiden heard someone shout something down the road, though she couldn't hear what, only the Carrier Water Princess' response.

"Found something? Pfft, what the hell's that on your head? Yeah yeah we're coming over, keep your panties on! Alright Reggie, hurry up, chop chop!"

"Aww, but I wanna see what's going on!"

"Put blondie over with Lunie and you can rush right back, now go, geez…"

Her eyes still closed, she could hear the receding footsteps and feel herself being lifted by the grumbling Re-Class. It took a few minutes of travel, dangling loosely over her captor's shoulders like some broken burlap sack, during which she allowed herself to look around at what was left of the place she and her sisters had been deployed to defend. Practically all of the greenery were gone. Some buildings were scorched, but still largely standing, while others had collapsed into piles of unidentifiable rubble. Splotches of dried blood both large and small occasionally covered the walls and ground, sometimes with pieces of broken equipment belonging to both sides abandoned near them. For a terrible second she thought she saw the bloodied and crumpled cannon of one of her sisters, hand still attached, but it was different, thankfully it was some other unfortunate soul's, though "thankful" wasn't exactly what she felt knowing one of their own still likely perished there. There was still hope the others made it out fine at least, not much more she could ask for. Eventually they made it to the outskirts of Paris, where a line of supply trucks in and out of the city were waiting.

"Finally! Hey Luna, ya okay? Brought another live one! Just keep an eye on her, alright?"

She couldn't see who the Re-Class was talking to from her position, but there was no response.

"…I'll take that as a yes."

The Abyssal propped the Tank Maiden up inside the back of the truck and sped back into the city after one more worried glance at her strange Abyssal friend. Now the Tank Maiden could see the one known as Luna, sitting opposite her, and recognized her at once as that one strange Abyssal who saved the kid. The first thing she noticed were her missing legs. She thought the Abyssal had weird Flight Units or something and she just couldn't see clearly, but it turned out she really didn't have legs! A crippled Abyssal? It didn't look like her legs were shot off, it was as if she naturally had no legs. In fact, the stumps ended in what seemed to be rocket thrusters. The work of those crazy gits who made the Re-Class and the other mutants? Would this happen to her too? She hoped not, she was quite fond of her own legs, and arms, and all of her body parts in fact. The second thing she noticed about the strange Abyssal though were her eyes. Staring down at the floor of the truck, supposedly at her own missing legs but her eyes weren't actually focused on anything. She wasn't like this when they first "met", that was for sure. What was something like this called, the thousand yard stare? The Tank Maiden wondered. The eyes of someone who's died inside, or EXTRA died inside in this case since ALL the Abyssals were essentially dead inside to begin with, right?

"C-Churchill?"

A weak voice from deeper in the truck caught the Tank Maiden's attention. There were three more prisoners in there, all Witches with varying injuries, though only one was just waking up, a girl with long orange hair and the tattered remains of a British Royal Air Force uniform, bandaged similarly to Churchill herself, with the addition of some more covering her left eye.

"Tempest…they got you too, huh. Knocked out when they found you? Would've thought you'd go through with it."

"Nah, Phoenix, ripped it out of me mid-air soon as she shot me down. I ain't even mad, that was amazing, heheh. Would've thought blood loss'd get me, but no such luck. Poked me eye out though, but where we're going we don't need no depth perception, right? Heheh…f*ck."

"…Your sisters alright?"

"I dunno, I didn't SEE them go down before I crashed, but we were up against Midway so…" The originally smirking Witch looked away, a cold emptiness worming its way into her once the topic was brought up. "…Unlikely. I guess it's one of the perks of being the first to fall, you don't have to see your comrades go down. Yours?"

"Better luck, I think they got out alright, I know Conrad did, she didn't get her bleeding ass sent back in after the convoy escort. My comms got smashed up though, can't confirm."

They both sighed with worry and regret, though after a brief respite, Tempest managed to get a sad smile back on her face. "At least I gave her a run for her money, rocket right to the left shoulder, drew blood right before those feathered sods ripped me out of the sky. Y'know what's funny? Midway could've simply closed up her shell and blasted us with impunity, not like we could do jack to that Demon's armor, but she didn't! I dunno if she's soft in the head or what, her skin's sure hard enough."

"Probably just a combat junkie like the rest of them. Since you told me your story I guess I'll tell mine just to be fair. We were sent back in after a few distress signals, basically go in, try to save someone and get out with them, lord knows we're short on manpower as it is. While I was tracking down mine, I came across that Carrier Water Princess, the one with the big boots, you remember her right? She was pretty much surrounded by 5 Tanks Girls, I think they were from Kingforce, y'know, those PMC guys with the cool guns they refuse to share? Her Demon was pretty much wrecked since it had crap mobility on land and the mercs had energy cannons that could turn its armor into swiss cheese. For a second I figured, hey this might be our chance, the Princess didn't have a piece of firearm on her, I could back them up and maybe we could actually take ONE of those royal bints down at least. Except then, she jumped off her bloody Demon, almost caved one of their skulls in with a somersault kick, then actually kicked another's head clean off! Literally, it sailed right past my own and then I booked it out! Call me a coward all you want but nope, I was NOT dealing with some…FREAK who jumped right into a crowd of enemies and started slaughtering them unarmed! She was even shouting stuff like attack names or something like it was Fist of the North Star! Anyway, turns out fate is a whore, and I ended up running into some more guys, got shot into a building that collapsed on me, and by the time I woke up my legs were squished. I knew I was screwed, I should've just blew myself up, but cowards will be cowards, I guess…"

"…I wouldn't call you a coward just for not turning yourself into a splat of blood and guts."

"It's either that or we let them surgically remove our sanity and send us back to kill our sisters."

"…Good thing I don't have to worry about the latter part now."

…

"Hey, Tempest. Think we'll end up like her?" The Tank Maiden nodded at Luna, who hadn't moved a muscle or whispered a word throughout their entire exchange.

"Maybe. I'd rather end up like that 'Freak' you were talking about honestly, or better yet, Midway. If the Abyss are going to make me their bitch, at least make me a badass bitch. What's up with her anyway? All the other Abyssals were pretty lively. The ones that aren't dead of course."

"Strange one, this, met her before while escorting the convoy. She just swooped in with a human kid that some mother in the convoy was missing, handed him over and swooped out fast as she came. I'm guessing she's one of those rare fortunate unfortunate cases where she kept her sanity, though I'm not too sure about her now."

"Fortunate unfortunate?"

"Well, if you had to spend the rest of your life hunting and killing your former friends and family, would you rather still have your memories and conscience while doing it, or would you rather be a giggling psycho playing Murder Time Fun Time?"

"…I'll get back to you on that."

…

"…Psst, Churchill. Think we can make a run for it with her like this?"

"Sure, why not. We can just crawl outside dragging our broken legs behind us and pray to every imaginable deity that none of the several hundred or so strong Abyssal Army will find us or send a search party after us until we make it ALL the way across Paris. We can just stealth around like MGS, it's not like the Phoenixes have INFRA-RED or anything! Nothing could go wrong with that, no sir!"

"Oh shut up, at least I'm still THINKING of resisting…"

* * *

><p>"Lady Admiral, the fleet has returned."<p>

"Welcome back. Thanks for all your…What's up with the hats?"

"Do you mean these?" Woverly pointed at the beret her jellyfish-like hat was wearing, which everyone else also had some variation of on their heads. "We found them in a burnt down store, it seemed some crates in the storeroom survived the fire. Hoppou wanted one and it was somewhat popular among our ranks, so Hornet decided we should all take one. We have a few spares as well, would you like one, Admiral?"

Wasn't there a rule about looting and war trophies somewhere? Does it even apply to aliens though? "...Maybe later. As I was saying, thanks for all your hard work, everyone. Since our docking space is limited, the most wounded shall dock first. Please be patient until it's your turn."

"Isn't it nice, insect? You get to dock before me. I'm almost jealous."

"Only because I took every shot for you, Yorky! Haven't you heard, the knight in shining armor is the guy who never had his mettle tested~"

"Yorktown, Hornet, enough."

"I'msorrypleasedon'thurtme." The two muttered in unison and hurried away from Middia who appeared behind them. The admiral just sighed and looked for her secretary. Everyone else seemed in high spirits, but she wanted to know if what she dreaded happened…and when she found the Destroyer Princess, despite the cute little beret hanging off her headwear's horn, her thousand yard stare told the admiral everything.

"…Would you like to come to my office?"

"…Please, yes…"

* * *

><p>1412/20XX

The Fleet has returned, with souvenirs to boot. Spirits are high, and casualties are low, though existent. 4 unfortunate deaths, other than the pile of light cruisers. However, their bodies are mostly intact and have been salvaged, and being Abyssals, they'll be resurrected by the end of the week according to Woverly. Having semi-immortality on top of all the stuff they can do, it does make me jealous, though I'd never trade away my humanity for even that caliber of power. Speaking of deaths though, it was as I feared with Luna.

5 kills. That's a pretty low body count all things considered, but the first always hurts the most. I must admit I'm a little disappointed…I'm not blaming her for killing combatants of course, that's just a necessity of war, and she's killed her fair share of Abyssals as Harusame, but…call me biased if you want, her killing humans is still upsetting, and yes I consider the Fleet Girls, Tank Maidens and Witches just as human as the rest of us folk. Now don't get me wrong, the Abyssals aren't "lesser" than humans or anything, I'm buddy buddies with some of them for crying out loud, but I still can't see them AS humans is what I'm trying to say, I guess? That and the whole immortality factor…Why am I trying to justify myself in my own diary? Maybe I just feel guilty about how I feel, I don't even know at this point.

Changing topic back to the originally intended, I'm pretty worried about her mental state. I remember she had a similar expression after her first kill against some Fleet Girl Abyssals, but not to this degree. Hell, I've killed insurgents before, I still remember how sickening it felt when I first blew someone's life out the back of their head, and I don't even consider myself the sentimental type. Harusame however…can't even imagine how she must have felt. Since most of the combat were in the first two days they were there, looks like she's been in this state for a long time, holding on until she came back…She's sleeping in my office now, after letting her emotions out. It was heartbreaking watching her bawl her eyes out. I tried my best to convince her not to take it so personally, she did what she had to do, but lord knows it won't be that easy to help her come to terms with it. Maybe I'll be the one to invite her for another night on the surface this time, hopefully that'll help her feel better. That girl…even as a Fleet Girl, no matter how strong she forced herself to be, in the end she was never meant to be a soldier…Yet another reason to hate the puppetmasters on both sides for starting this mess and dragging innocents like her into it.

Come on, silver lining, silver lining. The request will be sent tomorrow. I'm expecting a reply within the day, though WHAT the reply will be I'm not sure. Hoping for the best, but if in the end they still won't let me, I'll have to come up with something else. Hang in there, Yuudachi, Shigure, everyone!

* * *

><p>The screams resonated in her ears. Scene after scene replayed before her eyes. The one who fell in the fire after she destroyed her Flight Unit. The one who had a building collapse on her after she smashed her into it. The mangled corpses strewn across the burning wasteland, the blood and gore that soaked the landscape.<p>

"…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" She stood alone crying amidst all the fire and death, her entire body drenched in blood. She shouldn't be feeling so bad about it, she had to protect herself, protect her allies, friends! Everyone else was fine with the killing, so why wasn't she?! Why did she feel so horrible, witnessing the pain she caused? It wasn't her fault, she tried to convince herself. It wasn't her fault they died! She did what she had to do! It wasn't her fault!

Suddenly the bodies changed. They shifted, becoming someone else, Fleet Girls. She had never seen these Fleet Girls before, she was sure of it, yet they looked so familiar, she instantly felt a connection to them, much like she had with the commander…right before the scenes began reenacting with them instead of the original victims. A young girl with long blue hair falling screaming into an inferno before she was roasted alive…a brownish-blonde girl with two side ponytails being crushed into a messy bloodstain under great slabs of concrete…a dark brunette with her hair in a small braid, her right torso nothing but a gaping bloody hole, looking into her with those eyes full of despair and hate…

"No…Stop! **STOP!**"

With a gasp she bolted upright, covered in cold sweat, eyes wide open, heavy breathing. Slowly calming down, she looked around. She was on the sofa in the commander's office, covered by a soft blanket. It was…all a dream? No, that hellscape just now was a dream, but the battle...the fights, the deaths, they were all too real. She had killed those people, she had been the one who reduced those living, thinking people with their own friends and sisters into lifeless piles of flesh. But…she had to fight, for her friends, for the mission…if she didn't fight, it would be her and the other Abyssals who'd suffer the same fate…she wasn't _trying_ to kill them, they were all accidents…their agony, their suffering…it wasn't her fault…yes…?

* * *

><p>A gentle knock came from outside the admiral's bedroom.<p>

"…Luna?"

"Y-yes…may I…may I sleep with you tonight?"

"…Nightmares?"

"…"

"...Sure. Come in."


	5. Chapter 5 - Christmas Reunion

25/12/20XX

Today sure has been one hell of a day. It SHOULD be, it's Christmas, the day of joy and parties, but I didn't really expect much here in the Abyssal base. We weren't exactly able to go play in the snow down at the bottom of the ocean, and I thought Abyssals didn't really eat human food so a Christmas feast was out of the question neither. All I really had planned was to just give everyone the day off and that was it…boy was I wrong. Well, best to just start from the beginning.

After having my request approved, HQ took its damn time scheduling my first "inspection", just no news whatsoever since the approval notice. So I woke up this morning at 0800, and my tablet was blinking which meant there was a new message. Turned out, they scheduled TODAY to be my first inspection. Why did they inform me so late? "SURPRISE!" What a wonderful present, it's almost like it's Christmas! Oh, wait…

They told me someone would be meeting me when I got there, but I should bring an escort with me anyway. The unsettling part was that the escort had to be a Princess, for "security reasons", yeah right…well it is for security, just not necessarily mine. Ugh, and I wanted to bring Neko too, such a shame. I considered my limited options: If it did turn out to be the prison holding Yuu and the others, Luna's the last one I want to bring with me, they would FREAK if they saw her like this without warning; I'd rather Middia not get too much activity in case it works up her appetite again; Hoppou's too young to bring along, a prison is no place for a little kid to tour around, lord knows how bad the environment might be in there. Well then, that left me with two options, so which do I choose? After some long thinking, I finally decided to think outside the box.

By 1200 hours the three of us were setting off in the submarine. With the sub on auto-pilot and nothing to do until we got there, it gave us plenty of time to socialize. Plenty of time to TRY anyway.

"So…Yorktown, Hornet... How've you two been?"

"Why me too? Why not just Hornet?" "She's right for once y'know, we'd be perfectly fine without her~"

"Because who better to be my escort than both my most trusted comrades?"

"Bullshit." "Lies and slander~"

"…Fine, I'll admit, I brought you both so I could see about fixing your relationship problems. What's with the animosity anyway, you're even both Aircraft Carrier Princesses, you're practically sisters! Can't you both just get along?"

"Nope." "Not a chance~ Well, I might consider if Yorky stops being such a pompous prick!" "Watch your mouth, you insolent brat." "You're literally just a month older than me, who're you calling brat?"

I just sighed while they started arguing again. I was really starting to regret my choice within the first 5 minutes of our 3 hour long journey, but nothing I could do about it then. I mean, I knew Yorktown didn't like me in the first place, and Hornet's just…what's the term kids use nowadays, trollish? But I figured it being Christmas and all there was no better time to try working out their problems, the holiday spirit and all that. Too bad we're not in some happy kid's cartoon and holiday spirits don't apply to real life. Gah, why couldn't I just bring Neko? The worst she'd do would be giving me dead legs after sleeping on my lap, I wouldn't have to fear the sub getting smashed in a catfight at least!

"Could you two please not fight on Christmas?"

"The hell is Christmas?" Both asked in unison. Looking at those two young ladies…no, couldn't keep a straight face; young _women_, it's hard to remember they're just a few months old as Abyssals and don't remember anything about human customs, so this is technically their first Christmas.

"Uhh…it's a common human holiday. Different people celebrate it for different reasons, but generally it's a time for harmony, charity and being nice to people. Also parties and presents."

"Holiday? Damn, I should get the day off then." "Every day is already a day off for you, lazy git! Ah, parties and presents do sound nice though~" "Who was the one wasting time ruining my collection while I was fighting in Europe? Ah yes, the petty insect." "Hey, I put a LOT of effort into that!"

"Girls, please. Just for today could you stop bickering with each other? Just for today? I'm sure you don't want Middia to find out about the OTHER day, am I right?"

"…Snitch." They were surprisingly unified in that accusation, annoyed expression and all. Sigh. We spent the next hour or so in complete silence, though the tension was still so thick you could cut it with a knife. Too awkward to start another conversation, I took the time to think about what those two might've been like as Fleet Girls, figured it might help me psychoanalyze them now since Luna's personality was also carried over. Supposedly they're the undead versions of Kaga and Shoukaku, well known around the world, though I've never really met them for myself, only their admiral via satellite meeting a few years back. Unlike so many fatass brass over here in the US of A, that guy was BUFF, even buffer than my old drill sergeant and lord knows we didn't call him the Man of Steel for nothing. Is he responsible for Yorktown's…taste? Ah, that's unimportant.

I remember her and Akagi were originally the most powerful Standard Carriers over in Japan, the IJN's 1stCarDiv…until Shoukaku and her sister Zuikaku came along. Despite being younger, they beat the Akagi sisters during their very first practice battle together, and while most people did chalk it up as beginner's luck and superior technology, they still stole the spotlight from then on as the new show in town and quickly outperformed 1stCarDiv on the field as well. Heck, Kaga even lost her flagship title to Zuikaku if I remember right. I'd imagine Kaga would've been pretty resentful over the whole thing, but she shouldn't even remember any of that now, right? Speaking of the flagship title however, originally it would've been Shoukaku who got the title instead, if not for her "curse".

Shoukaku's fabled curse. Normally I don't believe in superstitions like that, but the evidence speaks for itself, and if Paris was anything to go by it certainly has stuck even as an Abyssal. She's basically this "punishment magnet" that magically redirects most incoming fire towards herself, I'm not even sure HOW. It especially applies to her sister, Zuikaku's barely been SCRATCHED on any mission she went with Shoukaku, but Shou herself usually takes heavy damage, not for any lack of finesse on her part if the recordings were anything to go by, though it also made her THE go-to ship for escort missions. It couldn't have felt very good, being the designated meat shield while her sister became one of the top Fleet Girls in Japan. The IJN even ended up giving her their best armor just so she could meat shield better, and ultimately she became the only casualty at her Guardian Office when the siege came. Even more unfortunately, from what I heard, everyone else were sunk soon afterwards while reinforcing a different base, except Zuikaku, who was captured alive.

It's a bit of a stretch, but connecting the dots, all that CAN explain their behavior a bit. Yorktown used to be the strongest Aircraft Carrier type Abyssal, is now upset that Hornet is stronger than her despite being younger, doubly so since it's practically an identical situation with Shoukaku and Zuikaku in the past, and is lashing out due to jealousy. Meanwhile, without Zuikaku, Hornet's finally getting her chance in the limelight as best Carrier. However subconsciously, being overshadowed by her sister all her life as a Fleet Girl has made her very possessive of the title of strongest, and she now sees Yorktown as a threat to her position, hence the constant need to demean her. Did any of that make sense? Maybe. Was it all just first year psych student nonsense that was completely inaccurate? Maybe. But it was something to work with at least.

With that thought out of the way and still time to burn, I started imagining what the prison would be like. Scarred girls in tattered clothing locked away in small filthy cells, their spirits broken? Kept in forced hibernation in some kind of alien stasis chamber? Labor camps where all the prisoners are chained and forced to mine resources, their backs covered in bloodied whip marks? Every possible horrible scenario came to mind; even with Inazuma's reassurance to Okada, you know the saying, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Hell, each prison's environment might be completely different depending on the wardens. Even if the 6thDesDiv made theirs a resort, what's to stop some other group from making theirs a dungeon, with various restraining devices and skimpy latex outfits and…Eventually my imagination got kind of…weird, so I tried to distract myself with some more chit chat.

"You two remember what to do, right?"

"Mmhmm, stay close and watch out for any prisoners acting up, Crescent Kick their heads off if they do, right?"

"NO, DON'T kick their heads off!"

"Kidding, kidding! You're way too tense about this, Cassie~" "Addressing your superior so intimately, how disrespectful." "And you don't address her at ALL in fact! Unlike a certain _dog_, we're actually friends! Isn't that right, Cassie?"

"Don't make me tell Middia."

"…Tch, you're no fun…" And we're back to square one. Sigh, again. Nothing left to do but wait for our arrival. Thankfully, there was only about an hour of the trip left, so I just sat around wishing I brought a book or music player with me. Couldn't sleep, they might start fighting and smash the sub. Eventually we finally made it, I've never been more glad to hear the sub surfacing. Relieved to finally get out of there and have someone else to talk to, I expected a battleship or Chimera to greet us. As I poked my head out the hatch however…

"Welcome, Commander Wilhelm! It's a pleasure to meet you nanodesu!"

"I…Inazuma?"

There she was, Okada's secretary, now one of the adorabloodthirsty Raiden Sisters. That's a word I decided best suited Re-Classes like herself, adorable yet bloodthirsty, though Inazuma was significantly milder on the second part. We've never met in person, I've only seen her and her sisters in the photos Okada sent me from time to time, but there was no mistaking her appearance and that weird verbal tic. I have to say, even with that disturbing tail of hers, she just looks so huggable! It's hard to believe this innocent-looking little girl essentially caused the destruction of the Abyssals' original headquarters through sheer craftiness. Well, if she was there, I could guess who the prisoners there were. Not mine. I'm not sure whether to be thankful or disappointed about that.

"It's Den now nanodesu. Have we met before? You seem familiar."

"Not personally, but you could say I knew your former admiral, we were pen pals back in the day."

"AH, now I remember! You were the one in those photos nanodesu! Pleased to meet you in person, even if it's under these circumstances."

"Pleased to meet you as wel-"

"Hey, Cassie, you mind chatting it up after you climb out the hatch? The view is nice down here but some of us need to get out too!" Way to ruin the moment Hornet. Soon the three of us were out and heading deeper in after a few more introductions. The first thing I noticed while entering the hallway were all the tinsels and baubles on the walls and ceiling.

"Wow, you took the time to decorate even."

"Yes, in fact, you're just in time for the Christmas party!"

"A PARTY?" Both Hornet and I exclaimed. Even Yorktown raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Since Harry and the others are having their own party at headquarters, I thought it would raise everyone's spirits if we had a small party down here as well nanodesu! I'm the only one here besides the Fleet Girls though, Rai and the others went with Harry. It's not very elaborate, but we have plenty of refreshments, do feel free to join us any time nanodesu!"

"You heard the kid, Cassie! LET'S GO PARTY~! …Wait, what do people do at parties anyway?"

I resisted the urge to facepalm. Yorktown didn't.

We took a look around the prison complex first before any partying happened, of course. I think the best way I can sum up the place would be with one word: Swedish. If I had a choice between my old barracks and this place, I would've become a Fleet Girl and got my ass captured without hesitation, seriously, everything's clean, furnished, roomier than my college dorm, there's even central heating and air conditioning! A few of them have bookcases stuffed full of reading material! I'm not even joking, I think I saw a few gaming laptops too! What the hell, Uncle Sam? When our enemy's POW are living better than your troops you're doing something wrong, and I'm not even going to mention what we've done to OUR POWs…

According to Inazuma, every single Fleet Girl Containment Center (she didn't like the word "prison" since the Fleet Girls didn't do anything wrong) was about as furnished, though she and her sisters went the extra mile with theirs to make it as homely as possible. Not that I'm complaining, I'm happy the girls are living the high life, but what is with the Abyssals? One minute they're slaughtering all who oppose them, the next they're giving the survivors 5-star hotel treatment! How do I describe this, it's like everything considered a threat is assaulted with extreme prejudice, but once something stops being a threat they're given the best hospitality to make up for it? Is this just the aliens' culture? I must say, as much as we still needed to defeat them, we humans should really learn a thing or two from them.

Either way, judging from the security here, I had far less to worry about than previously imagined. None of the cell doors are even locked, prisoners can come and go from their rooms as they please. As I figured already, their equipment is long gone, and according to Inazuma, each prison generally consists of 3-4 high level guards, namely battleships and Chimeras, as I also expected. At first I was surprised by the low security, but then I realized why there was no NEED for security in the first place: The prisoners will drown if they try to leave! We're at the bottom of the ocean, and unlike Abyssals, Fleet Girls can't breathe underwater! I kept imagining some sort of high security prison complex like Guantanamo with armed guards and alarm systems around every corner, when in reality, it was so obvious, why didn't I think of this? This should make the job vastly easier then. I'm sure the sub can fit them all, and I've learned how to operate it myself from watching Luna, so the only problem will be the guards…and my own escort, as I doubt they'll ever let me come without one. There is literally nothing I can do to a Princess though, so at the very least I hope I can convince HQ to let me bring someone weaker. From there…well, guess I'll finally get a chance to use that Abyss Alloy saber the brass issued on my promotion, hope I haven't gotten rusty. At this point I honestly feel sorry about killing them, but duty calls. Plus, they're Abyssals, they can get fixed again later, immortality and all that.

By the end of the hour we were pretty much done with the tour, our last stop was just their storage room to check their supplies. As we opened the door however, we were welcomed with…

"…Uhh, is that a cardboard cutout of Okada?"

"Rai made it nanodesu. She thought the cutout would make Miss Tenryuu and the others feel more at home. Suffice it to say it wasn't very effective nanodesu, so we put it back here."

Yorktown went over for a closer look. Was it just me, or was she starting to blush? "…Can I have it?" Yes, yes she was. I almost felt embarrassed. I mean, Okada's a pretty fit man, if a little too old for me, he WOULD fit Yorktown's taste, but still…

"Yorky, seriously? Did you just get the hots for a piece of cardboard?" "None of your business, insect. Admiral, can this be my Christmas present?" Uhhh… "Look, I know I wrecked your fap material and all that, but seriously, even for you this is a little too desper- *clatter* -ate? Did someone knock over something?"

"K…Kaga-senpai...? Sh…Shou…Shoukaku-nee…?"

A girl with dark green hair and long twintails stood at the door, a cup of soda dropped and spilled all over the floor.

"Miss Zuikaku nanodesu? What are you…Huh? Kaga? Shoukaku?" I could see Inazuma looking back and forth at the newcomer and my two escorts in confusion out the corner of my eye before coming to a realization. I thought the Fleet Girls of the same Guardian Office were kept in the same location, but it seems since Zuikaku was the only survivor of hers, in the end they just put her with a random group. What are the odds she ended up here of all places? A surprise family reunion, talk about a Christmas miracle. It's like all the planets aligned just to give her this reunion, and just like with my own, the planets forgot to give her a heads up first.

Tears were welling up from Zuikaku's eyes, understandably so. I half expected her to faint like I did, but instead, a big smile of joy slowly formed until she looked like someone who just won the lottery…no, more like someone whose crush just proposed to her.

"Kaga-senpai! Shoukaku-nee! I can't believe I'd ever see you again! I-It's me, Zuikaku, do you still remember me? Oh my god, I had so much I wanted to say to you, but now I'm kind of overwhelmed! H-How've you been? A-Are you okay?" She looked about to jump in and give the two a big hug, but for some reason didn't. It's like despite her enthusiasm, there was a hint of hesitation.

"Huh…Zuikaku…that name…that face…they seem familiar somehow. I don't know WHY, but…" Both Hornet and Yorktown were deep in thought then, as if trying to remember something. I doubted they would actually remember much no matter how hard they tried, but if they found Zuikaku familiar maybe they'd get along? She's sister to one and junior to another, they might even end up like Luna and I, and-

"I don't know why but I want to KICK HER FACE IN!" Wait what?

"For once, I agree, Hornet. Her existence upsets me." What the hell? Then my psyche student musings from the sub trip came back. Oh, right. Looks like the god of Christmas miracles forgot as well, they secretly hated Zuikaku's guts before they died, and they were now acting on the hatred still lingering in their subconscious after Zuikaku's appearance triggered them.

"Wha?! What's going on nanodesu?"

"Hey Cassie, you were talking about Christmas presents right? Can beating her up be mine? I promise I won't kill her or anything but just LOOKING at her gives me this REALLY frustrated feeling like I've been stepped all over! It doesn't make SENSE but I NEED to hit her or I'll EXPLODE! Cassie, PLEASE! LET ME HIT HER!"

"I also desire to beat this impudent brat senseless. She looks at me with eyes of arrogance and pity."

No, no she wasn't. Poor Zuikaku had fallen over while trying to back away and was sitting on the ground, still crying but for a different reason now I'd imagine, if there's anything in her eyes it was fearful confusion as her former sibling and senior closed in on her menacingly, gritting their teeth and cracking their knuckles.

"Everyone, please calm down nanodesu!"

"Pleeaasseee, Cassie? We promise we won't bicker for a month, just let us kick her around a little! You don't even have to look, just go to the party and we'll catch up later! It's fine, don't mind ME, I'm just the stupid MEAT SHIELD that no one gives a F*CK about~! WHO CARES ABOUT ME WHEN THERE'S ZUI THE UNTOUCHABLE, RIGHT?!"

"I accept those terms as well, please let us punish the brat. As a _senior_ it is my duty to discipline the _young_ ones who _outstep_ their _place_."

The two looked INCREDIBLY unstable, complete with slasher grins and what I can only describe as eyes of pure madness, I'm not even sure they themselves knew what they were talking about anymore. One thing one should remember when dealing with Abyssals, most of them have REALLY bad impulse control, especially when they get angry. Part of the many problems caused by lacking human conscience and empathy, but knowing that wasn't going to help me stop those two. Meanwhile, Zuikaku was hesitantly crawling backwards away, staring up at the two with wide eyes of fear, yet the earlier confusion had disappeared as some kind of epiphany slowly dawned on her.

"HEY GUYS, ZUI'S BACK~! Look at HER, not a SCRATCH, AND she finished off the RE-CLASS! SO COOL, MVP FOR LIFE! Oh, Shou, you're not dead. What, you're missing an arm? You did how much damage? You defended Zui how many times? Yeah, umm, NO ONE GIVES A F*CK! WHY can't you be more like your UNTOUCHABLE SISTER over there you WASTE OF DOCKING SPACE?! Well let's see how untouchable you are when I KICK YOUR BRAINS OUT!" Hornet stomped her foot down so hard the ground cracked, causing the rest of us to flinch.

"You think you're _superior_ because of your _luck_ and _equipment_? After years of hard work and dedication to _earn_ our place, you think you can just waltz in and make us _obsolete_? Want to try your luck now, you _insolent little shit_?" Yorktown had completely tensed up, as if every muscle was straining to keep herself from ripping into the girl in front of her while the last remnants of her self-control still held.

It was then that Zuikaku suddenly looked like she realized something, calmed down and…SMILED, a really depressing smile like someone who just gave up and accepted a horrible fate. "Even Shoukaku-nee, huh…so that's how it is. It's time I paid the price then, do what you will."

She was okay with this? If I was in her place I'd probably have pissed myself or outright fainted, and she's just sitting there waiting to get viciously executed with a smile on her face? Either her brain broke down…or she wasn't the proud cocky prick my two escorts thought she was. Or both. No time to think however, it didn't take a professional psychologist to see they were about to go absolutely berserk on the poor Fleet Girl, permission or not. I could almost SEE the malice emanating off of them. At the time, I didn't know if this was the right thing to do, I didn't think it through at all, but I just had to do SOMETHING, screw the consequences!

"For F*CK'S SAKE, YOU TWO! Do you even know what you're SAYING right now?!"

"…Huh?"

Thankfully they were still in control enough to process my question, and it managed to stump them. Seeing my chance, I kept going and explained their previous identities and old conflicts until I've spewed out everything I knew about them, hoping to stall time for them to cool off. "You really think you'll achieve anything torturing her now? Look at her! She recognized you two, and what did she do? Did she taunt you for sinking? Because that's what she would do if she really was a cocky brat who looked down on you two, right? But NO, SHE DIDN'T! She cried tears of JOY when she saw you again, and now she's just sitting there WAITING for you to kill her like she thinks she deserves it or something! And you know what, it doesn't even MATTER what she did or how she felt about it! I don't care if she took your number 1 title, I don't care if she hogged your glory just because she's luckier, YOU DON'T EVER F*CKING DEMAND TO BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF A COMRADE WHO FOUGHT THROUGH THICK AND THIN WITH YOU LIKE THAT, MUCH LESS YOUR OWN SISTER OR JUNIOR!" Finally out of breath and feeling a little dizzy, all I could do was back up against a wall to support myself, take a few deep breaths and wait for the results. There was a good bit of tense silence before anyone spoke up again.

"…I'd call you a bad liar, Cassie, but I did say all that weird stuff. Umm…this is quite a lot to take in. I don't know what came over me, well NOW I know, but…sorry, still trying to process, don't know what to do right now."

"You could start with an apology nanodesu? Miss Zuikaku must have been terrified…"

"No…I'm the one who should apologize." Zuikaku cut in, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I know it's far too late for me to make up for my mistakes, but please hear me out. Shoukaku-nee, I'm sorry you felt so unappreciated. I didn't even know you felt that way…you were always smiling, saying it was okay despite being covered in wounds in my stead, being joked about regularly…the others might have thought I was the best, but I'm nothing without you, Shoukaku-nee. Just look at me, I couldn't even protect a single person with you gone…If no one else, I will always appreciate you and what you've done for all of us. And Kaga-senpai, I never aimed to make you or Akagi-senpai obselete, I want you to know that. I didn't even deserve the Flagship title…You and Akagi-senpai had far more experience, the only things I had was newer equipment and a bit of luck, and Shoukaku-nee was always more skillful than I anyway. I shouldn't have accepted it…I let all the praise get to my head, and I'm sorry for that, for taking a title I didn't deserve, for all our fights and arguments caused by my own arrogance. I was too proud to apologize back then, it was my fault I let our aggression pile up, and by the time I learned my lesson, you were already gone…All that time I couldn't do anything for either of you but give you trouble, I shouldn't be surprised you'd resent me even as Abyssals. I don't even deserve to ask your forgiveness, so if you still wish, you can do with me what you want, but please at least know that…I'm sorry."

There was another tense moment of silence. I couldn't really see Yorktown or Hornet's expressions from where I was, so all I could do was hope they were taking it well. If they really wanted to, there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop them from murdering Zuikaku, especially after Zuikaku herself practically threw herself onto the sacrificial altar. I doubted even Inazuma would be able to help if things got serious. Fortunately, when they finally spoke, both Inazuma and I could breathe a big sigh of relief.

"…I forgive you." "Yeah, what Yorky, uhh…Yorktown, uhh, Kaga, said. You were probably a bit of a spoiled brat in the past, but you've learned your lesson, I guess. What matters is it's all in the past now, and we barely remember it anyway, so just forget about it okay? Sorry about the whole wanting to destroy you thing, we're Abyssals…not the best at impulse control. Come on, wipe those tears away, don't want your friends at the party to see you've been bawling your eyes out, right? Ugh, looks like you need a change of clothes too, it's all covered in soda…Where's your dorm? We'll go help you out. Right, York…town?" "…Right. Lead the way."

We wiped the sweat from our brows after the three of them left.

"Phew, that was very well handled nanodesu!"

"Nah, that was just in the heat of the moment. For all I knew, revealing their old history might make them even angrier!" It was true, I could barely belief that worked out so well. I still barely believe it now! If that wasn't a Christmas miracle I don't know what is.

With the incident sorted and the tour completed, I considered taking up Inazuma's offer, but ultimately decided it was best I stayed out of the party. Having a random enemy admiral waltz in like that would just be a mood killer. I also didn't let those two go despite Zuikaku's invitation, partly as punishment for the whole ordeal, partly because I was afraid of another incident, however low the odds. I did take up Inazuma's offer on some drinks and snacks though, and we spent an hour in Zuikaku's room having our own miniature party, just the five of us. It wasn't much compared to the ones we had in Biscayne, just some Christmas turkey and casual chit chat, but I had a merry old time all the same, and I'm pretty sure I can say the same for the others too. I don't think I've ever seen Hornet and Yorktown act this friendly to each other before, even sharing stories of their prank war like it's all in good fun. Well it's less "friendly" and more just "temporary truce", but still it's nice to see them get along even if it's just to make up to Zuikaku. I might even be so bold as to say they've warmed up to each other with this!

About an hour later, we said our good byes and boarded the sub back for home.

"Hey, Cassie, you mind letting us go back there once in awhile?"

Well that was an unexpected request. "Huh, sure, I'll tell you two if I make another inspection there again. Missing your sister already?"

"Meh, I just figured now that she knows we're alive and well she'd want to see us again. It's not like I particularly enjoyed her company or anything, really."

"Such a bad liar."

"Shut yer yap, Yorky, it's not like you're any better. I still can't believe you actually took the cutout with you!"

"None of your business, insect."

"It IS my business! Now I have to find another face to glue onto it!"

"I WILL END YOU!"

Sigh. And after they got along so well during the party too. I guess some things are just never meant to change.

The rest of the day was uneventful relatively speaking, with no paperwork I just spent the evening reading novels in bed, plus a nice little hotpot dinner with Luna and a few others, just for the sake of a Christmas gathering. It still wasn't really filling for them, human food and all, but at least they said it was delicious all the same.

All things considered, this trip has been nothing but good news, and according to HQ's schedule, I'll be doing one to a different random prison every week. Only a matter of time now. Yuu, Shigure, everyone, hang on. We'll be together again soon enough.


	6. Chapter 6 - Plans

1/1/20XY

Two months ago, if someone was to tell me I'd end up doing the new year countdown while watching fireworks with a merry band of Abyssals, I'd ask him if he was high or something. Guess what we just did!

I figured since we missed the Christmas celebration, maybe we could do something for New Years, so I requested some fireworks from HQ, they surprisingly actually gave them to me the next day, I spent a few days training some light cruisers in using the things, and announced the event to everyone. Really I figured besides Luna and Hoppou I'd maybe get a few closer friends like Woverly or Reagan to show up, why would aliens really care much about the new year? Imagine my surprise when the sub surfaced, I climbed out the hatch, and found everyone and their mothers there waiting. They even brought the destroyers for seats!

"Ah, Cassie! You sure took your time!" Hornet strolled by with Yorktown of all people in tow. "So, aren't you going to do a celebratory or motivational speech or something? Everyone's kind of waiting!"

"A speech? I didn't prepare anything like that, I never expected THIS many people to come! Plus, I'm really not the public speaker…" That, and I didn't know WHAT I would say to all these Abyssals. That I've enjoyed my time here as their admiral? To work hard together for another year conquering humanity? In the end that was exactly what I stuttered out when the two just grabbed me despite my protests and put me in front of everyone else. It earned a few muffled snickers but it wasn't that bad thankfully. And so with my wristwatch as standard, we all counted down the last 10 seconds and cheered as the first wave of fireworks soared into the air and exploded into brilliant flashes of color amidst the starlit night sky. I sat back down next to Luna and looked around: Hoppou sat atop Middia's shoulders, staring in awe at the pretty lightshow, eyes as bright as the fireworks themselves; the Carrier Princess duo were getting drunk with the battleships, acting like they were all the best buddies ever, I wish I had my camera so I could show those two the photos of them hugging each other; the Res and Chis were cheering like excited children with every explosion, and everyone else were huddled together in small groups, just enjoying the moment together. Neko soon found her way to me and laid her head down on my lap, while Luna huddled closer and rested hers on my shoulder, and that was how we remained until the final ka-boom and the last brilliant embers faded away.

Y'know, it's amazing how my opinion of these girls have changed over the span of 2 months. I came here seeing them as these nameless alien soldiers that I'll backstab the first chance I get, yet now, I've learned their names, their quirks, their motivations; we've shared stories, thoughts, and moments like this together. They might not be human, but I've come to know them as PEOPLE all the same, and it's only gotten harder and harder for me to think about betraying their trust eventually. After that Christmas trip, I almost even don't WANT to go through with it…but I've come too far to just stop now, nor can I sit here helping continue their invasion.

I don't want to fight them, yet I can't keep helping them neither. I wonder what Luna would say if I could ask her opinion, she's always been my best advisor as Harusame. Unfortunately, her counsel's not an option anymore, so my own solution will have to do. For now however, I'll do my best to enjoy these girls' company, while I still have the chance.

* * *

><p>91/20XY

Yet another inspection today, that's the third now.

Considering the better-than-expected environment of the prisons, I decided bringing Hoppou along might be a good idea. Remember when I wrote about wanting to "rehabilitate" her? What I had in mind was, the first step towards that would be for her to get to KNOW her "enemies" in the first place. Right now she only sees the Fleet Girls as "the baddies", and that's what I wanted to change by letting her interact with captive Fleet Girls in a safe environment where both sides aren't trying to kill each other. It's not like even the more vengeful of the Fleet Girls can lay a hand on her, and come on, who wouldn't soften up at least a little to a cute little kid like Hoppou?

Just in case, I asked Middia if she was okay with me bringing Hoppou first, she said it was fine, so I brought her along for the field trip. Having learnt from prior experience, I made sure to bring a novel with me to pass the time with, and we set off at 1300 hours, right after lunch.

I remember it was an hour in when I looked up from my reading and noticed Hoppou wasn't playing with her model plane like she usually does, instead sitting quietly on the metal benches, still fiddling with the plane every once in awhile but not as energetically as normal.

"Nervous about the trip?" I asked, and she nodded quietly. "Don't worry, the Fleet Girls we're going to see aren't dangerous anymore. Still, if anything happens, don't…punch anyone in the face, okay? Just back away and let the guards and I handle it." She nodded again, a little more confident this time. Honestly I didn't really expect anything to go wrong with the trip, but just in case if something does I wanted to make sure she wouldn't get frightened and kill someone…Again, hope for the best, prepare for the worst. It's still difficult for me to believe she broke a Big 7's neck with a single punch with those cute little gloved hands of hers…Sure makes me wonder just how powerful she'd be if she grew up, as a Fleet Girl or Abyssal. I'm also reminded of the "Auntie Darwin" she mentioned awhile back, wonder how Hoppou would've turned out if Darwin had raised her instead. I mean, it's true that telling your enemies to "Go home" isn't the most effective self-defense strategy in the world, and Middia's not a bad mother, not at all, just makes me wonder how different she'd be if she was raised by a pacifist instead of someone who teaches her to punch her problems in the face, literally.

Between reading and pondering these questions, we had arrived at our destination before we knew it. Putting away my novel, I climbed out the hatch, and outside greeting me was…

"Guten tag, Admiral. I understand you're here for the inspection?"

"Abi…Bismarck?"

She was impossible to mistake for anyone else, her long platinum blonde hair, aquamarine eyes and that sleek uniform. As if Inazuma wasn't surprising enough, now it was Anton's daughter.

"You were about to say Abigail, correct? I see you know my previous name."

"Wait, YOU know your human name?" That took me by surprise. The brass worked pretty damn hard to prevent letting Fleet Girls know they used to be normal humans despite what even the public knew. Some bullshit about thoughts of previous lives distracting them from their job as soldiers, but really it's just to make them easier to control, the whole "You're not humans, we created you, your purpose is to serve us" crap. Always about control with those trash.

"Thanks to my father I do. I presume you knew him?"

"Yeah, he was my dad's friend, we kept in touch after my old man passed away. Until he disappeared, of course." Another surprise, though I should've seen this one coming. His whole goal for defecting was to get his daughter back afterall, and the report said Bismarck fought and killed him during the battle of IBS, it makes sense he'd try to talk her back first. What I didn't expect was for her to really believe what Anton might have said.

"I see…my condolences for your father's passing."

"It's okay, he died just the way he wanted, in battle and just after his prime years. I'm sure he had no regrets." The atmosphere was getting pretty heavy, so I decided to change the subject. "I thought one of the wardens would've come meet us, what are you doing here?"

"Ah that. Our wardens had a drinking party late last night and are all currently suffering from extreme hangovers. Lightweights, all of them…When the message that you'd come for an inspection came this morning, one of them asked me to fill in for them as your escort before promptly passing out."

"Not sure you were supposed to _tell_ me they're unavailable due to slacking, but I understand." Couldn't complain, having a Fleet Girl to keep me company was a nice change of pace, especially a familiar face. "Still kind of surprised you accepted the errand, them being your enemies and all."

"A little repayment is fair for them letting me visit my father's grave regularly I believe." Well that explained that. "Now then, shall we-"

"Pou! I'm getting bored, can you let me go up yet?"

Oops, forgot I was still blocking the hatch. Deja vu… I moved out of the way to let Hoppou up, who quickly scarpered up the ladder, poked her head out, saw Bismarck…and climbed back down a few rungs before I stopped her.

"It's alright Hoppou, she's friendly!"

"B-But she's an evil Fleet Girl!"

"She's not evil and she won't hurt you, okay? Remember what I said earlier? You'll be fine." It took her a moment's hesitation before she finally slowly climbed back up again. I suppose it takes more than my assurance to convince someone their "mortal enemy" won't hurt them.

"Ah, is that the escort from your base? Please, don't be shy, come o-oh mein gott du bist LIEBENSWERT!" Bismarck's eyes lit right up the moment she got a proper view of Hoppou before she quickly tried to regain her composure. "E-Excuse me, I was just…surprised."

"Unsurprisingly, it's a common reaction." I did my best to help her calm down. Seeing a refined-looking lady like her all flustered was fairly amusing though. "Now, shall we…" And Hoppou had her head ducked down below the hatch again, must've been scared when Bismarck shouted. Too bad I can't google translate what she said. I took some time to calm Hoppou down too and we began the "inspection" proper.

While we were walking around, Hoppou looked around with the curiosity of a child at a museum, though she always kept close to me and away from our Fleet Girl guide. Meanwhile, it wasn't hard to notice Bismarck eyeing the little Abyssal occasionally and acting a bit absent-minded. Eventually she couldn't hold it in anymore and asked, "So, umm…Admiral Wilhelm, do you mind if I ask her name?"

"Her name's Hoppou. She might not look the part, but she's a Princess class, and really strong at that. Why so interested?"

"A-Ah it's nothing." She quickly looked away, blushing, which only made me more curious.

"Go on, I'll keep it secret."

"Well…seeing as you were my father's friend, I guess it doesn't hurt…" She looked around nervously before leaning in and whispering. "She looks so cute and I really want to cuddle her…" Okay, couldn't stop myself, that made me burst into a giggling fit. "Y-Yeah I know, it's pretty pathetic…" Poor Bismarck's face was practically beet red by then with embarrassment, so I quickly apologized, though I still couldn't hold back a grin. Bismarck wanted to cuddle, imagine that. "I might not look it neither, but I…really like cute things. Plushies, fluffy animals, stuff like that…I used to keep a few in my room in secret, but I don't have such novelties here, so it's been a bit hard on me…"

"So you're like on cuteness withdrawal or something?"

"D-Don't say it like I'm some addict!" She was getting even more flustered, it was funny as hell even though I felt sorry for her! Even Hoppou was looking at her with interest. "I-It's not like there aren't cute things here, I love my sister and comrades, Prinz, Lebe, Max, they're all adorable and I treasure all of our time together, but I can't just…CUDDLE them! Sure they'd be fine with it I'd imagine, maybe not Max, but…I can't! I have an image to protect!"

"Ahh, I wonder what they'd think of their cool, graceful big sister if they saw you like this…Or all the other German Fleet Girls even! The beautiful, refined Lady Bismarck, begging an enemy Admiral to cuddle her cute little escort!"

"P-P-Please don't put that image in my head!" Teasing her was so much fun, oh I'm a horrible person… "I-I've spewed my heart out here already, so can I please c-c-cuddle Hoppou? Just for a few seconds?"

"Oh but that's not for me to decide! Well Hoppou? Want to fulfill poor Bismarck's life dream?"

At this point, even Hoppou had lowered her guard to the blushing battleship, and hesitantly nodded. All the embarrassment immediately evaporated from Bismarck's face, replaced by a look of pure joy, and without another word she gently picked up the little Abyssal and cuddled her to her heart's content, nuzzling against Hoppou's face even with a look I can only describe as pure bliss.

"Ahh~ So soft and adorable…Look at those fuzzy little mittens! But you still feel so cold! Don't worry, let big sis Bismarck warm you right up~" She also said some German stuff that I couldn't even hear clearly. The scene was just so sweet I almost got diabetes. Hoppou herself didn't enjoy being treated like a plushie too much, but even she started having fun after she gave Bismarck a pat on the head and the battleship practically swooned, it was pretty surreal, but incredibly funny.

Finally after a few minutes Bismarck was satisfied and reluctantly put Hoppou back down before someone came along. The rest of the inspection went by without a hitch, though Bismarck still spent most of it chatting or playing with Hoppou. An hour later the two of us were waving good bye from our sub, after I promised to bring Hoppou again next time I came by.

"So, still think Fleet Girls are scary?" She shook her head when I asked her on our way home.

"I was scared at first, but big sis Biscuit was funny!" Yeah, she even came up with a nickname for Bismarck, I'd say they've gotten pretty damn close. One of the great things about kids, they can change their minds about someone really fast based on personal experience, even former enemies. "It'd be fun to play with her again!"

"Glad to hear." The fact that Hoppou has befriended even a single Fleet Girl made today a great triumph in my book. Yeah, I can imagine her playing happily with the Rainy Sisters as well, a beautiful scene, if only it wasn't just in my head.

"…Should we have told Biscuit about those three Fleet Girls peeking from around the corner?"

"Nah, it's better this way." That brought a big smile to my face. I'm a horrible person.

* * *

><p>231/20XY

Another week, another inspection. It's like every other inspection has some kind of surprise, first it's Inazuma and Zuikaku, then it was Bismarck on the third trip, now on the fifth…I'll just start from the beginning.

After a bit of bartering with HQ I finally got them to drop the whole Princess escort requirement, though I still have to bring someone with me, so of course I brought Neko, who spent the entire trip napping on my lap as I expected, and kept right on sleeping after we arrived and I spent a few minutes gently nudging her off and trying to recover my legs' senses. God I hate dead legs, it wouldn't be so bad if it was just numbness, but no, it has to feel like my entire leg is being pricked by countless needles every time it touches something! It got to the point that Russell, the Ru-Class who was supposed to meet me, actually knocked on the hatch to ask why we were taking our sweet time.

Eventually my legs came back to life and I climbed out, leaving Neko to her peaceful slumber, both Russell and I agreed I didn't really need an escort with her and the guards around anyway. Plus, how could we bear to wake Neko up when she looked so cute while asleep? Being the fifth tour, I was getting pretty used to the routine, and we went about our inspection as normal, check if the supplies were sufficient, if the generator and other machinery were in order, etc. Of course, all the while I was making a mental map of everything which would help with the planning. We didn't run into any of the Fleet Girls for most of the tour since it was still lunch time and they were all in the mess hall…until we ran into a small group of them on their way back to their suites- uhh, cells.

"H-huh? Commander Wilhelm?"

A familiar blue-haired girl looked up at me in surprise, along with everyone else next to her. Three guesses who they were! Yep, none other than the Rainy Sisters, along with Kiso as a bonus. It was an eventuality I had been waiting for really, but running into them all of a sudden was still a shock for me, much less them.

"Wha, what are you doing here? Did they capture you too?!" Samidare asked with worry…before they slowly put the pieces together.

"The Abyssal Admiral who was scheduled to visit here today…no way…" I tried my best not to look directly into Murasame wide eyes of disbelief.

"Huh, you know these girls?"

"…You could say that." It was a struggle just to spit out an answer to Russell, it was just too awkward. I couldn't even get myself to face them after a few seconds, their confusion, their disappointment…

"W-Wh…Why? Did you turncoat just to see us again? Or just because you gave up all hope of winning once you lost us? Who was the one who taught us never to give up, huh?! Did you think this would be what we wanted? What Harusame wanted?! You…YOU IDIOT!" Without another word, Shiratsuyu ran away sobbing, with most of the others chasing after her. By the time I finally managed to look back forward, only the three of them were still there; Shigure, Yuudachi, Kiso. Lucky, just the people I needed to talk to…in private.

"H-Hey, you guys SURE are more well SUPPLIED than I imagined! The STORAGE ROOM was FULL to the BRIM!"

"…Trying to change the subject? No need to yell, I can understand, the awkwardness was suffocating even for me. As curious as I am, I won't ask you why you turncoated, we're glad to have you and you have your own reasons I'm sure. If you're worried about your former subordinates, as you can see they're perfectly fine, we've been instructed to keep them reasonably comfy. It's not like they could make it to the surface even if they escaped, and if they're kept content it's less work for us in the long run."

Great, she didn't notice. The three still waiting there however thankfully took the hint and departed, feigning, or at least I HOPED they're feigning, looks of disgust and disappointment before turning their backs and walking off. For the sake of avoiding more of these encounters, we skipped the mess hall, and the rest of my little tour was done in a few minutes.

"That should conclude the inspection, thank you. Everything appears to be in order. Umm, if you don't mind, can I stay for a little longer? I'd just like to…well, y'know…"

"Try to make peace with your former subordinates? Sure, go ahead, I'll leave you alone for it then, I'm sure you can see yourself out when you're done. Good luck, looks like you'll need it." With a casual wave, the prison guard left as well, leaving me alone to head for the storage room. Sure enough, they were already waiting inside.

"…I'm glad SOME of you still have faith in me."

"We've known you for as long as we remember, poi! We know you're not that kind of person, poi!" Compared to the others, Yuudachi's bright eyes of trust sure made me feel a lot better.

"Cassandra, is this some hare-brained scheme of yours to bust us out?"

"You sure have me all figured out, Kiso. Ah, I haven't heard anyone call me by my first name in a while, except Hornet, and even then it's a short form. I sure have missed you girls…"

"Hornet?"

"Aircraft Carrier Water Princess, you might know her better as Shoukaku. She's deployed at my base, we're kind of buddies but that's not the point right now. The point is you're right, I'm planning to break you all out next chance I get to come, which will be in two or three months' time."

"A breakout, poi? Sounds exciting, poi! We're happy to help, of course, what's the game plan, poi?"

"Remember, we don't have our armaments. I can do a LOT with a blade, but even I can't take a battleship bare-handed, Cassandra."

"I can, I can, poi! Just leave it to me, poi!"

"Not more than one you can't."

It took me a bit to get them settled down and began to explain what I had in mind while they listened intently. Together we took our time adjusting it, until eventually we were all satisfied with every detail. Shigure was the only one who never really said anything during it all, not that she ever said much for all the time I knew her neither.

"The plan will work well for this prison, but you're sure about the others' security measures, Cassandra? The guards' strength alone may be very inconsistent considering Okada's Fleet's wardens compared to our own, much less if a Fleet is more openly resistant."

"I wouldn't say 100% sure for now, but judging from the previous 4 I've been to, I'd say there's not much to worry about. It's like as Inazuma said, why would the Abyssals post powerful personnel like Chimeras or Princesses or other high security measures when it's physically impossible for the prisoners to escape alive? Not to mention without weapons, there's very few Fleet Girls who can defeat an Abyssal Battleship. I'm sure regular Re-classes would be the worst we'd have to worry about, excluding Inazuma's group, but I think I can work something out with them. The only thing I'm really worried about is whether you girls can handle Abyssal guns."

"It's fortunate for us they've never considered assistance from outside then. As for Abyssal weapons, it may take a little getting used to, but for the most part they're the same technology as our weapons, just with a different design, I'm confident we can use them properly."

"Everything's settled then, poi! Heheh, your plans always make everything seem so easy, poi!"

"Everything always sounds perfect on paper, it's the execution that matters. I mean, I trust YOU all to pull it off without a hitch, but MY end…"

"Don't worry about it, poi! You can do it, we believe in you, poi!"

"Yuudachi's right, have some faith in yourself. As with the plan, we'll listen for rumors of your next visit and prepare ourselves then. The question now is, what's next, Cassandra? We have our prison break plan, but where do we go from there, once we've freed everyone we can?"

"What's next? Well, that's for the girls to decide."

"Wha? What do you mean, poi?"

"Once we break each prison, we'll deliver the girls to the surface and give them what surplus equipment we can salvage, as well as maps and strategic information such as Abyssal patrol routes and where they should attack if they choose to do so, but other than that it's up to them. If the girls want, they can just escape the war and take refuge somewhere on islands or some other remote wilderness where the Abyss aren't stationed, or even stay in the prisons if they find no reason to leave anymore. Of course, if they do decide to fight, then I wish them the best of luck. Essentially I'll make it known they're free from any military obligation, they can do whatever they want, we're just there to free them and give some gear and intel as assistance. Afterall, it's not in my place to send them to their deaths again…"

"Deaths? That's awfully pessimistic, even for you."

"I wish it was just pessimism, Kiso, but it's all in the brass' plan this time. Since the main forces of the Abyss are focused inland to maintain a beachhead, defenses around coastal areas are actually spread thin since they don't expect any attacks to come from that direction. Once the Fleet Girls escape they can attack the coasts without too much risk. The ambush should cause a panic in the Abyssal Forces, forcing a redirection of units towards recontaining the Fleet Girls, which gives humanity a chance to push back and recover lost ground. The military's been taking lessons from the Abyss themselves, and kept a massive secret reserve of experimental units, letting the PMCs do the brunt of the dirty work until I can give them the opportunity they need to unleash their main force. However, there was…one thing I didn't take into account when I first agreed to all this. While we may be able to recover to a pre-siege state under the best circumstances, the Fleet Girls who I release as a distraction…"

"…Will have a nigh non-existent chance of survival." Shigure finally spoke up, finishing for me solemnly.

"Yep. The military won't even consider sending forces to help rescue any of you once you're back on the surface, they'll be too busy fighting on land. They fully expect all of you to die while buying them as much time as possible. To put it bluntly, all of you Fleet Girls will be nothing more than fodder…That's why I want to give you girls a chance to choose, not just let the military pull your strings and toss you in the furnace whenever it suits their purpose. Once we've freed as many girls as we can…I'll give the same choice to you girls as well."

Even Yuudachi lost some of her usual enthusiasm after that while they all took their time digesting this information. I gave them all the time they needed, of course.

"…And what of you, Cassandra? What will you do?"

Ah, the dreaded question…I've asked myself that a lot honestly, and while I wasn't sure my girls would be satisfied with the answer, it's what I decided. I took a deep breath, thought it over one last time even though I knew I wouldn't change my mind, and gave my answer.

"I'm somewhat ashamed to say this to you all after everything you've done for me, but…I can't find the will to fight against the Abyss any longer. Not because they're too strong and I've lost hope in ever beating them, but because I've come to see them in a different light. By now I've spent over 2 months in their company, and while this might not be a long time, you could say I…grew fond of them. They're not just evil monstrosities as I've once imagined them to be, no, they're people like you or I, with their own personalities, families, motivations, struggles, even if most of them are somewhat sociopathic from having their conscience damaged, but hey, it's not like most humans are any better honestly. What matters is I've gotten to know many of them as good friends, and many of them fight for reasons I can't argue with. In the end, whether it's the Abyssals, Fleet Girls or even some of us humans, we're all just unwilling soldiers dragged into this conflict by our respective superiors to fight and die for their ideals in their stead, doing what we can to survive to the end with those we hold dear. Well, maybe not ALL, but you get my meaning. I'm just tired of sending good people who I've come to know and love to fight against an enemy that I now know are decent people as well who happen to be stuck between a rock and a hard place, it breaks my heart to fight either one...Hopefully once this is done the military will be able to do their jobs for once and keep the Abyss at bay this time, but for me, however long the stalemate may be or whichever side wins in the end, saving you all will be my last act in this war."

"B-But we need you, poi! How can we fight without our commander leading us, poi?"

I chuckled despite Yuudachi's clear worry, couldn't help myself there. After all this time locked away because of my incompetence, they still thought I was important…I didn't know if I should feel flattered or ashamed.

"You really think so? You shouldn't. I've wanted to say this before, but you girls really over-value me. What have I done all that time while we were together? Sit in my office pushing pencils while you girls do all the dirty work for me? All my plans and strategies don't mean jack without you girls executing them for me neither. Hell, not even all of my plans worked, remember? I would've ended up sending you all to your deaths already if it wasn't for Harusame's improv way back then! Maybe you all feel like I'm some big shot just because some brass gave me the title "Admiral" and said you have to take my orders, but let's all face it, compared to you girls, I'm USELESS! I-"

"Harusame wouldn't have died for a useless Admiral." Shigure, of all people, interrupted me. "Perhaps not all of your strategies are flawless, perhaps you lack the strength and power that we have. But without you, we would not have the will to fight to this day."

"…Me? What did I ever do?"

"From the moment we awoke in the construction bay, we were told simply to follow orders and fight those designated for us as our enemies. We have no memory of our former lives, or even that we had former lives to begin with if you hadn't told us. Essentially, the only person we've ever known from the start were you, and the other Fleet Girls. It would've been easy to simply treat us as tools, we wouldn't have known better and would simply follow your orders like we were told to from our construction, but you didn't do that. You chose to treat us as more than mere weapons, but as people, even as your equals despite your rank. You took the time and effort to get to know each of us, help us with our personal problems, gave us new memories and experiences to remember to replace what we've lost. Even if you yourself don't believe it, YOU were the one who gave us a REASON to fight, to struggle on and never give up hope, to LIVE. We are who we are today because of you, Admiral Cassandra Wilhelm. That is why we have and always will believe in you. That is why Harusame was willing to throw herself in front of the rocket so your convoy could escape. You aren't useless, Admiral, and don't you ever tell yourself you are again."

…It took me awhile to say anything after that, she had just struck me entirely speechless. Sure I've done everything I could to help the girls and liven up the place while I was Admiral, but I mostly considered it my duty to do so, to help resolve the girls' personal problems and keep up morale, that was my responsibility both as Admiral and a decent human being. That and I do get bored too, so why not organize some fun events for everyone? Indeed I've genuinely enjoyed every moment I spent with the girls, but I never would have imagined it meant so much more for them than just duty and leisure. That these girls would think so highly of me, that they would even claim I've given their lives MEANING…I've never felt so honored in my life. I remember trying to hold in the tears, and locking Shigure in a tight embrace, before the others also joined in without hesitation.

"…Thanks, Shigure, Yuudachi, Kiso, everyone. I'll never forget this."

"Neither will we, Cassandra."

"Yeah, no matter what happens to us, we will never forget what you've done for us, poi!"

Eventually and reluctantly, we broke our group hug and I went on my way. Neko had woken up by then, looking up at me with impatient eyes, as if I should be sorry for making her wait when she was the one who slacked off the entire time. Regardless, I patted her on the head and gave a little apology before we set sail for home.

Luna and some others are working on upgrading the submarine right now, complete with an additional storage compartment and a vastly better engine that'll double its speed, all to help with the break-out of course. The irony's a bit painful, them working hard to improve their enemies' escape vehicle. Only a matter of time now before the end of my mission. I wonder what their choices will be in the end, to escape with me and seclude ourselves away, or sacrifice themselves to give the rest of humanity a chance to turn the tide. I wonder if our next meeting will be our last…


	7. Chapter 7 - Penultimate Returns

1/2/20XY

Been spending time in one of the training areas so I could practice my swordsmanship. It's been a while since I've swung a sword around, I only got some kendo classes in my teenage years after watching one too many shonen animes. I don't want to brag but I was a damn natural with a sword, impressed quite a few folks at the old academy and many of the Fleet Girls too. Back before Admiralty I just used a simple wooden sword, well-carved but nothing worth showing off. This saber though, now this is a piece of work. At least in the US, every Admiral of a Fleet got a weapon crafted from Abyss Alloy as a sort of symbol, usually some form of sword, though some guys got stuff like tomahawks. Mine's a saber, navy blue handle with a gold hand guard to contrast the sleek black blade, and a sheath with fancy gold swirly designs I can hook onto my trousers. Sometimes I'd go outside by the port when I was bored and swing it around a bit to feel like a total badass, fortunately I haven't gotten stale since I've come here.

This wasn't the first time I've done a little training to make sure I stay in shape, especially with the moment of truth coming up soon, but Luna dropped by this time after she couldn't find me in my office. I didn't even notice her watching until she started clapping after I sliced a practice target in half.

"That was very impressive, Commander, yes!"

"Eh, it wasn't anything special, but thanks. Needed me for something?"

"Nothing in particular, I just wanted to spend some time together, yes, maybe chat a little."

"…Is it because of tomorrow?"

"…Partially, yes." Tomorrow's her next combat deployment. Since Paris I've kept her off the more minor missions that the others could handle on their own, but this one's another big raid that requires everyone. I've done my best to comfort her after Paris, but of course if it was that easy she wouldn't still be getting occasional nightmares about the ordeal.

"Look, if you don't want to go that's fine, I'll try my best to arrange something so you can-"

"It's not that, Commander. On the contrary, I wanted to assure you not to worry about me too much." Now that was a pleasant surprise. "I'm sorry it's taken awhile for me to come to terms with what I've done, yes, and while I still dislike having to hurt or even kill people, if it's what I must do to protect my own comrades…then I'm ready to do what I must."

"Good to hear you're not still guilt tripping yourself then." I breathed a sigh of relief, it was good to know she's gotten over it, even if just a little.

"I've also been taking some medical lessons from Woverly so I can work as a field medic as well, yes. I know it's not much, but perhaps I can make up for the lives I take by saving others? What do you think, Commander?"

"Yeah, that's a great idea actually!" A medic, even I didn't think of that! I couldn't stop myself from kneeling down and giving her a big hug, taking her by surprise, but she hugged back anyway. It's hard to explain, but the fact she'd choose on her own volition to be a field medic and save lives like that made me feel a great sense of pride in her, like a mother would her daughter I'd imagine, as sappy as that sounds.

"T-Thanks, Commander, I'm glad you agree, yes…"

"Aww, look at the little lovebirds over there~! Get a room you two!" We both blushed and backed off a step when a familiar voice cat-called in. There goes the nice atmosphere. Hornet and Yorktown were outside peeking in on us for who knows how long.

"Well what about you two? Since when did you girls stick together all the time?" That was my best attempt at a retort at the moment.

"What? We just passed by each other and heard you two talking, didn't we, Yorkto- Yorky?"

"Precisely." Despite their nonchalant voices, I could clearly see them blush and look away, how adorable. "As we were just passing by, we'll be on our way then."

"Yep! Enjoy yourselves you two~" With that they slipped away, leaving me and Luna alone in the training area again, with added awkwardness.

"So…I was just finishing up anyway, you wanna get a drink or something?"

"T-That would be nice, yes…" And that's exactly what we did.

I sure have come a long way with Harusame haven't I? Shy, kind-hearted Harusame. She's been there for me from day 1 at Biscayne, and even now after her death she's somehow found her way back to me as Luna. For all the things she and the other Fleet Girls have done for me over the years, I'd like to believe Shigure that I've done just as much in return, but I know there's no way I'd be able to truly repay any one of them, much less Harusame. She's more than just a soldier under my command, more than just my secretary, I'd even say she's more than just my best friend even, but then what would she be? Daughter? I'm not that old…Sister then? Yeah, I think that's what she feels like to me, a younger sister who's also smarter and nicer than I am. Well if that's the case I'm the worst older sister in the world, not only did I fail to protect my younger sister, she even had to sacrifice herself to protect ME. Even worse, soon I'll have to betray her so I can complete my mission…

Harusame sacrificed herself so I could survive to help lead humanity to victory one day, and even though I don't fancy fighting the Abyss any longer, I will not let her have died for nothing, even if it means betraying her Abyssal self. I will do what I must, for humanity, for Fleet Biscayne. For her.

* * *

><p>132/20XY

The Fleet has returned from Texas. This time everyone came back wearing cowboy hats, I wonder if this kind of stuff's going to become a tradition around here. Again everyone's a bit worse for wear, but nothing serious despite the longer deployment. More importantly however, Luna is in surprisingly good shape, much to my relief. She still looks pretty disturbed, understandably so, but nowhere near as bad as Paris. According to her, she got around 5 kills this time around, but saved two Tank Girls, one Witch and like a dozen Abyssals, which made her feel just a little less guilty. I gave her a head pat and a hug to help her feel better all the same, and I have a special little event planned to cheer her up and celebrate everyone's safe return. What's the event? That should be obvious.

Tomorrow's Valentine's Day! Except we're all ladies here so there aren't any valentines. Regardless, I invited Luna, the other Princesses and a couple more girls to try their hand at making chocolates with me tomorrow just for fun. What better way to unwind after a battle than cooking something? …Okay there are plenty of better ways to unwind than cooking, but y'know, Valentine's. The problem is, I've almost never cooked anything other than cup noodles in my life, so excluding Luna, none of us actually know what we're doing. To top it off, we're relying on recipes sent in from HQ as well as ingredients, and after a brief review of the recipes and the ingredients, which included extra random stuff like spices, meat, etc. which the memo said was for more "creative" endeavors, I have a really bad feeling about this. But hey, it's just making chocolates right? How bad could it possibly get?

Ahh, getting tired, I'll just check the ingredients and recipes one last time and head off to bed. I wonder whether my first cooking attempt will taste good or not, or if it'll even be edible.

* * *

><p>152/20XY

Welp I learned something yesterday: Excluding Luna, none of us should EVER cook again. NEVER. Ugh, I still feel sick…I can't even remember much of yesterday after I set up the kitchen for us and we started cooking.

Everything STARTED well enough, we each got a different recipe and a set of ingredients, then after awhile I remember Yorktown asking Hornet what the hell she was pouring into her mixture. Soon afterwards some kind of vapor permeated the room and everything was all fuzzy after that. Come to think of it, that stuff smelled like alcohol, and we were given an assortment of sake and other alcoholic drinks to use, which would explain quite a lot, but how the hell did she make it so strong? I mean, I'm no lightweight but holy hell, if even the vapor can get me drunk, the mixture itself must be lethal!

Anyway, I can't remember much after the vapor other than a few things the others said, too focused on trying to make my own chocolates, which was very difficult considering my drunken state. Here's a few things I remember hearing:

"Mama, I don't think you're supposed to eat that yet!"

"Hey, Yorky~ Put some bacon in it! Bacon makes everything better~!"

"Hey ya guys, why's the blender smokin'? Ah, THAT'S how ya make smoked salmon! In ya go then!"

"Step 5, add a tablespoon of…oops, dropped it all in."

"Not to alarm you guys, but the microwave MIGHT be on fire."

"Is it just me or does mine look purplish?"

"Mama, look, rainbow choco- Mama you're adding too much! Too much!"

"Maybe we should stop, yes…"

"We're almost done, just let me add this thing…tobasco."

If all of those lines sounded like total warning flags, you're absolutely right, but thanks to the goddamn alcoholic vapor everything seemed funnier and less dangerous at the time. When everyone was finally done making their chocolates, Hornet came up with the bright idea of shuffling our…"creations" and having each of us taste a random one. I had the honor of shuffling and distributing them so I'd know who made what at the big reveal afterwards. It was a good thing I still had the mind to give Hoppou Luna's chocolates, because by the time we've all taken a bite…I think my brain subconsciously erased my memory of the taste, and I thank it for that, because when I woke up today I was in the medical bay with everyone else sans Hoppou. It was so bad even the Abyssal girls couldn't just dock because a nanite bath alone wasn't going to cure that level of severe food poisoning. I should count my lucky stars Woverly's concoction was the least lethal of us all sans Luna's, Yorktown's spicy bacon chocolate or Hornet's extreme liquor chocolate would probably have killed a weak human like me on the spot! I wonder how bad mine was…

Ah well, I guess it was still pretty fun for a near death experience, it was certainly more exciting than any Valentine's Day I've had, even the ones at Biscayne. Certainly we've never had such exotic treats as the "smoked" salmon choco or rainbow chocos. May they be the most exotic foods I will ever see in my lifetime.

* * *

><p>143/20XY

Looks like I've finally visited all the prisons because we're revisiting the old ones now. As I've done the last few times, I sneaked out last night to check the auto-pilot coordinates, and they matched the one Inazuma and Okada's fleet are at. The time draws nearer and nearer…

As promised, I brought Hornet and Yorktown with me again for the visit. This time however, against my better judgment I also brought Middia along, since she used to be Akagi. I actually explained her previous identity to her several weeks ago, a little after the Christmas fiasco, and she's really just taken it in stride, as she does with most things. I didn't tell the other two about her until this morning though when they asked why I was bringing her too, so their reactions during our sub trip was pretty amusing, especially Yorktown's.

"Is something wrong, Yorktown? You're looking at me strangely."

"Nothing, it's just that…after so long, it's rather…awkward seeing you as a sister." It's fun seeing stoic ol' Yorktown so uncomfortable, all fidgety and avoiding eye contact and everything.

"If not a sister, what have you always seen me as?"

"Well…how should I put this…"

"Mom~?" Fully anticipating the strike, Hornet easily evaded getting smacked on the head by the irritated senior.

"I am NOT that old!" Seeing motherly Middia all flustered was also very fun. Couldn't argue with the fact I saw her as the mother figure amongst the Princesses as well, but y'know, women are sensitive to things like age, even if it's only slightly implied.

"Now when did I say anything about old~? I just meant you felt like a mom since you take care of Hoppy! Please don't put your opinions of yourself in my mouth, hmm~? Oh god WAIT! CALM DOWN YOU'RE GONNA SMASH THE SUB! I'M SORRY I'M SORRY! YORKY, CASSIE, HELP!" Both Yorktown and I could only look on with nervous amusement while a beet red Middia chased Hornet around in circles for several minutes. As much as Hornet deserved that one, I was indeed more than worried the sub would get trashed, not to mention Middia + activity = good bye resources, so unfortunately I had to intervene before it got out of hand. Thankfully with the new upgrades the sub arrived at our destination within the hour, so Hornet didn't get many more chances to tick Middia off, at least not on our fragile ride.

This time, both Zuikaku and Inazuma were waiting by the port.

"Welcome back, Commander Wilhelm, long time no see nanodesu!"

I waved back, this time making sure I've climbed out completely before I replied. "Thanks, it's been awhile hasn't it? I brought some friends this time too!"

"Ah, Kaga-senpai! How've you been?"

"Just fine, thanks." Yorktown gave Zuikaku a pat on the head, I don't think I've seen her done that to anyone else.

"Shoukaku-nee! Good to see you again!"

Hornet didn't waste a second jumping off the sub and giving her a big hug. "Sup~? How's my little sis doing?"

"I've been fine, thanks for asking! Ah, there's someone new? That's…could it be…Akagi-senpai?"

"So I've been told. I assume you're Zuikaku? Nice to meet you again."

"W-Wow, you look even more mature and beautiful now!"

Middia's face flushed red again from the compliment, averting eye contact. "Is…Is that so? I'm flattered to hear that." I'm honestly surprised she has such a cute side, but as soon as Hornet opened her mouth again I could see why I don't see that side often.

"Middi, you do realize mature's just another word for-" She just barely jumped away from this swing. "Would you stop trying to hit me, Mom? Child abuse is wro-Oh shit NOT AGAIN!" And soon both cat and mouse sped out of the port deeper into the building, leaving the rest of us to collectively sweatdrop.

"I-I'll try to stop them before they cause any trouble nanodesu…Ka-Yorktown, can you lend me a hand?"

"Were they always like this?" I asked Zuikaku after Inazuma and Yorktown ran after them for damage control.

"Actually, back then it was usually Kaga-senpai and I who squabbled. Shoukaku-nee's more…what's the term…passive aggressive, I guess. Honestly it was hard to tell when she was being sincere or sarcastic about stuff sometimes, even for me. As for Akagi-senpai, she was always the reasonable motherly figure amongst even Shoukaku-nee and I, but on the rare occasions where she actually got mad, well…" Her shivering from the memory was all I needed to know.

"Mmhmm, sounds like them, though they've become a bit more on the aggressive side now. Hey, walk with me?" Together we headed down the hallway as well, though just at a walking pace. I wasn't really trying to catch up to the rest, but I figured it'd be less awkward than standing around while I asked what was on my mind. "Zuikaku, can I ask you a question?"

"Huh? Sure, ask away."

"What do you think of the Abyssals?"

She almost tripped when she heard that, and struggled to find the words. I would have just cancelled the question but she answered before I could. "…That's a difficult question, but even though you're an enemy Admiral, I'll answer honestly. I guess you deserve that much for reuniting us." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Before my capture I really didn't think much of them, they were enemies that needed to be destroyed, end of story. Admiral's always taught us never to get too sentimental about things during a war, because doubt only serves to get you and your comrades killed. The Abyssals want to kill us, so we have to kill them first, that was all we needed to know. Even now, that hasn't really changed too much."

"Even after meeting up with your sister and seniors again?"

"Yeah. Of course not all Abyssals are bad people, Den…Inazuma and her sisters are perfect proof of that, as are Shoukaku-nee and Kaga and Akagi-senpai no doubt. However, that doesn't change the fact that most Abyssals, even Shoukaku-nee and the others, are our enemy…not to mention they're all nuts. If it wasn't for you, I'd probably be in pieces by the end of Christmas already, and I would've deserved it too after failing to notice my own sister's internal torment all those years, but I don't think she would've wanted that. No matter how much she might have resented me, she wouldn't have wanted to see herself in that…rabid state, begging to rip me limb from limb, and the same goes for Kaga-senpai. It's not just them neither, Satsuki, Inazuma's sisters, all the Fleet Girls that've become Abyssals, I'm sure none of them wanted to become monsters used to raze cities to the ground or slaughter countless people, even if they're conditioned to be 'okay' with it now…"

"Yet killing Abyssals is okay?" I blurted out, unable to keep quiet anymore.

"…Huh?"

"You say they wouldn't want to be 'monsters' killing people, and by people you mean humans, Fleet Girls and their variants, correct? And yeah, killing people is horrible, but you're saying it like killing Abyssals as Fleet Girls is perfectly, morally fine? I'm sure you know first-hand by now from your sister and the 6thDesDiv that they're fully functional people as well, even if a little soft in the head sometimes. They're not monsters, they're people. They're no different from you or the other Fleet Girls, just on the other side, and killing them's no better than them killing you."

"Well then what the hell are we supposed to do, let them kill and assimilate us then take over the planet? Is THAT what you want?"

"That's a strawman and you know it! Your Admiral wasn't completely wrong, it's a war, kill or be killed is the cruel, unchanging rule of war. What I'm saying is, that goes both ways, for the Abyssals it's also kill or be killed! Heck, unlike Fleet Girls since some might've volunteered, none of the Abyssals even GOT a choice to join or not, it's not their goddamn fault they have to fight! They're not 'monsters' just because they have to kill to survive!"

"Kill to survive? They're INVADERS, they STARTED this shit in the first place!"

"Their LEADERS started this shit, not them!"

"YOU'RE their leader!"

"I'm talking about the REAL fucking leaders that HIRED me!"

"WHAT THE FUCK'S YOUR POINT?!"

"MY POINT IS DON'T FUCKING THINK KILLING ABYSSALS MAKES YOU A HERO BUT KILLING YOU GUYS MAKES THEM EVIL INCARNATE! IT'S FUCKING HYPOCRISY!"

"C-Can you both please calm down nanodesu? I think the whole building can hear you two screaming…"

Ah. In the heat of the moment we didn't realize Inazuma was back already, with the rest just rounding the corner.

"S-Sorry about that, didn't realize we were getting so loud."

"What the hell were you two shouting about anyway?"

"N-Nothing, Shoukaku-nee! Just some petty argument, it's nothing!"

"Yeah, it wasn't anything serious, don't worry about it." For the sake of not ruining the mood for everyone else, I decided not to push the issue.

"Well if you say so Cassie. Hey sis, wanna go catch a bite together? You can continue that story you were going on about last time and we'll tell you all about our Valentine's Day! Now THAT'S a hell of a story!"

"Sure, I'll lead the way then!"

Soon only Inazuma and I were left in the hallway this time, and we headed off for the "inspection", for the sake of keeping up the facade.

"Sorry to ask but if you don't mind, could you tell me what you and Miss Zuikaku were really arguing about nanodesu?"

"…Promise not to get mad or tell anyone else?"

"Promise."

"Alright. I asked her how she felt about the Abyssals as a Fleet Girl, and we ended up arguing after she called Abyssals 'monsters' for killing humans and Fleet Girls, but Fleet Girls hunting and killing Abyssals is a completely different matter."

"I see, you were angered by her thinking of us merely as monsters to be destroyed nanodesu?"

"You could say that. It's just…yeah the Fleet Girls have little choice but to fight and kill the Abyssals for survival, but it's just the same the other way around for Abyssals! I'm not saying killing the enemy to protect yourself and your comrades is wrong or right, it's just not…EVIL! The Abyssals aren't evil monsters for killing Fleet Girls, and the Fleet Girls aren't evil monsters for killing Abyssals! It's not evil, they have no choice! The only ones to blame are the leaders on BOTH sides, the Abyssals' for starting this mess, and us humans' for perpetuating it! Just…FUCK THIS WAR!"

"…For a spy, you're surprisingly sympathetic of us nanodesu."

My heart skipped a beat and it took a LOT of effort to maintain a poker face. "…W-What do you mean?"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." She said with a wink.

…I could just keep feigning ignorance, but I could tell there was no fooling her. "…How did you know…?"

"From a combination of your behavior, your records that a friend hacked out for me, and my image of you from Commander Okada nanodesu. I don't know if you're still following the human military's orders, but I know your loyalty lies with your Fleet nanodesu. You became an Admiral for our side so you could break them out, no?"

I sighed in resignation. "You've got everything figured out haven't you. So, now that you know…what will you do now?"

I honestly wasn't sure what she was planning to do, she didn't seem the type to kill me and promised not to tell anyone neither. She then shrugged and gave an answer that I least expected. "Nothing."

Whatever I thought she might do, it wasn't that. "Nothing? I mean that's great to hear, but why?"

"Because in a way, I also want to see them free nanodesu." She looked down at the ground with a forlorn face, an expression rare for someone her age. "Even though their living conditions are so high quality, even though we've done everything in our power to make Miss Tenryuu and the others as happy as possible, I can tell they'll never be truly happy as long as they're imprisoned here nanodesu. As comfy as it is here, they want to be outside, fighting with Commander Okada to protect the lives of the innocent, even if it means one day they'll die in combat. You could say no eagle wants to live in a gilded cage no matter how dangerous it is outside nanodesu."

"Is that so…Does that mean you're willing to help me then?"

"Unfortunately, I'd rather not draw any trouble to Harry and my sisters, so I can't aid you too much nanodesu. However, I could arrange for my sisters to be absent when the time comes and pretend to be knocked out so you can free Miss Tenryuu and the others with ease."

"That's already a tremendous amount of help, Inazuma, thank you. Only problem is, I'll start the break-out when next I return to my own Fleet's prison, but I don't know the exact date."

"Don't worry nanodesu, I know one of the guards there, since we're notified a day beforehand I'll just ask her when you'll 'inspect' there next. I wish you the best of luck nanodesu." With that, her serious expression disappeared in an instant, replaced with her usual friendly smile. "Now, shall we return to the others? Some drinks would be nice right now nanodesu!"

"Yeah, lets." So we did. When we got there, Hornet was in the middle of talking about the horror that was Valentine's Day, with a few other Fleet Girls besides Zuikaku who crowded over. The way Zuikaku was just hanging out with the Abyssals, having a good laugh with everyone, I almost thought she was lying when we argued, but I know she wasn't, I could tell from her voice; yet at the same time, I could also tell she was genuinely enjoying her time with Hornet and the other Princesses. To be so close to someone yet still consider them a mortal enemy that must be destroyed one day…that's a very weird feeling. It's like something out of a video game or comic series where the hero and villain try to kill each other one day then go go-karting the next, it's cute in fiction but I didn't think something like that was possible in real life, not until recently anyway. It's not like I'm a stranger to this kind of paradox now, for example, I still want to protect the innocent civilians from the Abyssals and I don't want anymore Fleet Girls, Tank Maidens, Witches or any other cyborg soldiers we come up with to die, but I also don't want the Abyssals themselves to die if possible. Maybe I'm just a sappy idealist, I probably am, but I think it's really more than possible for humans and Abyssals to co-exist, if both sides just put some effort into it. Sure beats shooting each other to pieces.

That said, I still honestly surprised myself when I defended the Abyssals so adamantly today. Inazuma's right, I'm pretty damn sympathetic of the enemy as a spy, but I just couldn't keep my mouth shut at the time. It wasn't like Zuikaku was wrong for thinking of the Abyss as enemies she needs to defeat, again it's kill or be killed, that's why wars are so horrible, but…just the notion that killing any side is more…"correct", that slaughtering one side is the "right" thing to do, but you're a monster for killing the other, that doesn't sit well with me. Both sides do what they must, you wanna call someone a monster, call the puppetmasters in the back, not the soldiers who just fight to survive.

All in all however today was a successful day, everyone had a great time and that's one worry down for me, not having to fight the 6thDesDiv is a really big load off my chest, and that's not just because I don't want to hurt them, those girls are serious powerhouses…It does worry me that Inazuma could figure out I was a spy, makes me wonder who else might be suspicious…

It's late, I guess I'll go to bed a little early. Wonder when the time will come, could be next month, could be next week. Sure hope I at least get to visit Biscuit with Hoppou once more before then, maybe meet a few other girls too.

* * *

><p>213/20XY

Remember when I wrote I wanted to visit Biscuit with Hoppou again last week? Partly because I wanted Hoppou to make a few more Fleet Girl friends, partly because I wanted to see if…anything happened after the last visit. What a wonderful coincidence that we'd end up visiting her today.

It was nice seeing Hoppou so enthusiastic about meeting Bismarck again, compared to last time. She was no longer as nervous anymore during the sub ride, running around with her model Reppu like she normally does. It really takes a little kid to have so much fun with a simple toy like that, for so long too. I knew a guy who had hundreds of video games and still complained there was nothing to play! He'd probably die of boredom in a week if he was given nothing but 5-6 different model planes to mess with!

Anyway, when we got there, the welcoming party was bigger than expected. Besides Bismarck herself, whose face was already beet red and staring at the ground with an incredibly awkward smile, she was accompanied by Lebe, Max, Prinz, and another girl who I didn't recognize at the time. From her uniform I'd say she was a Japanese submarine, those guys love their fetishy school swimsuits, but then what was she doing here in the German prison? I got my answer later of course but I'll get to that later.

"Hello again, Bismarck! Quite the welcoming party you brought this time!" I teased, to which the German battleship replied with a half-hearted dirty look. Hoppou soon followed behind me up the hatch, though she hesitated after seeing such a large group waiting for her. It took a little coaxing to get her to come up completely, at which time 3 of the Fleet Girls collectively squealed with delight.

"Oh WOW! I knew she was cute before, but now that I've gotten a closer look, she's even cuter than I thought! I can see why you couldn't resist, yep!"

"Aww~ She's so cute desu te~! Come on Hoppou-chan, don't be shy, we won't hurt you!"

"Whaa! She IS adorable! B-But even so, you still think I'm cuter, right, big sis Bismarck?"

Most girls would find being called "cute" a compliment, but Hoppou was less flattered and more scared from the sudden attention she was getting. Couldn't blame her neither, I'd be totally wierded out too if some insurgents started exclaiming how cute I was. Regardless, she still followed me over to the group and hesitantly approached them, where she was immediately assaulted with hugs and kisses from Prinz and the mystery sub. Lebe refrained from going beyond giving head pats, Bismarck took the chance to sneak away from the group over to greet me, while Max just looked on with her arms crossed in disapproval.

"You knew they saw me last time, didn't you…"

"Now why would you think that? I'm just as surprised as you are! Look on the bright side, at least now you can enjoy all the cuddles to your heart's content, right?"

"Perhaps, but at what cost…" That made us both chuckle, I suppose she wasn't as upset about it as I thought. "That aside, guten tag, Admiral Wilhelm, welcome back." She looked back at the others. Hoppou seems to have warmed up to the others, showing them her model plane like it was some kind of trophy once the cuddles and cheek-pinching were over. Only Max remained unamused. "Perhaps it's best we leave them together while we deal with the inspection? Leading such a large group everywhere would be inconvenient, and I'm sure they'll get along just fine."

"What, don't want to cuddle little Hoppou this time?"

"N-Not in public, at least…I'd sink from embarrassment…"

I laughed and patted her on the back, she's just so fun like that. "If you say so then, I'd like Hoppou to make a few more friends anyway."

"Excuse me." A voice spoke up behind Bismarck; it was Max, who had broke away from the group at some point. "If I may, could I come with you two instead?"

"Huh? Why?"

"No offense, but I have no interest in getting all friendly with an Abyssal, _Bismarck_," she stressed the name, and I noticed said battleship flinched at that, "child or otherwise. The others can do as they like, but I'd rather go for a walk, so I may as well accompany you two."

"I don't see why not." I shrugged and said. We told Hoppou and the other girls our plans, and while Hoppou was a little hesitant about being left alone with a bunch of Fleet Girls, the rest were very enthusiastic about the idea, and promised to play nice and help her meet more friends. With that we went our separate ways, Max, Bismarck and I heading off towards the storage area while the others headed for the cafeteria.

Along the way, since Bismarck looked really uncomfortable while Max looked irritated, I decided to start some small talk to break the awkwardness. "Why were you guys meeting us again? Are the guards drunk off their asses again?"

"Pretty much." It was Max who answered, surprisingly. "It's like Oktoberfest for them year-round ever since we introduced them to alcohol, but they're still complete lightweights. Still, better they stay that way, less for us to worry about. While we're asking questions however, I'd like to ask you one as well."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Why'd you betray your own kind?"

Before I could answer, Bismarck interrupted first. "Max! You can't just ask something so personal!"

"Why can't I? I want to know why a human, a former military officer at that, would turncoat to the Abyssals, what there is that's so important she'd betray her own people to help the invaders. It has to be more than money or some promise of power, certainly?"

"Yeah, I'll answer that." I spoke up before Bismarck tried to dissuade the destroyer again, not like it was an answer I was scared to give, just the same old half-lie I've rehearsed for ages. "You could say I have disagreements with how the military's doing things. Has Bismarck told you about her dad?"

"Yeah, Prinz got it out of her. No explanation why he turncoated beyond wanting Bismarck back."

"You don't know the details neither, do you?" I asked, to which the battleship shook her head sadly. "Alright then, I'll tell you both now. Right before the Fleet Girl Project began, Bismarck's father, Anton Kaiser, was a German Admiral who'd go out on the sea with his ship and crew to fight the Abyssals face-to-face instead of sitting in his office like most brass. One day he got crippled and sent into a coma during a sortie gone bad, and the brass blackmailed his daughter, who was you," pointing at Bismarck, "to sign up for the project as essentially a lab rat, otherwise they'd cut his life support. That's why he joined the Abyss, because the military betrayed him first."

"Is that why father did what he did? I see…he must've been distraught when he found out…" Poor Bismarck came out of her awkward embarrassment only for sadness to take its place, while Max clenched her fists and cursed under her breath.

"Schweinhunds…Perhaps Bismarck's father had a just, if misguided cause, but what does that have to do with you? The militaries and governments have always resorted to shady methods, this case shouldn't have been personal for you."

"Basically, imagine what happened with Bismarck and Anton, but happening two or three times a WEEK. That's the kind of crap the military does to get troops, and I didn't appreciate that."

"Perhaps their recruitment methods are immoral, but isn't it the same as mandatory drafting during wartimes? You can't fight a war without troops, and who'd volunteer to fight to the death? Not enough people, that's who."

"You have a point, but that wasn't the only thing I disagreed with of course. You've heard of the self-destruct bombs implanted into your land and air-based cousins, right?"

"Yeah. They're messy and seem inhumane, but otherwise the dead will come back to life as enemies. It's like zombie flicks where you shoot the infected before they turn, what's wrong with that?"

"The Abyssals aren't braindead zombies, they're thinking individuals!"

"I know that, doesn't change the fact they're enemies of us all the same. You're arguing they're being deprived of a 'second life', but who normally GETS a second life anyway? You die, you're dead, that's NORMAL. Yeah getting resurrection abilities is great, doesn't mean we shouldn't stop them if they revive as ENEMIES."

"Well then, ever heard of the-"

"The group of Abyssals who surrendered, and was captured and tortured to death for it by humans?"

"…How did you guess? Or know, for that matter?"

"One of our base's technicians was involved, blurbed about how traumatizing it was during beer night. It's the most disturbing thing our side's ever done in this war, what else would you argue with? I won't even try to defend what those responsible did, but every war has its fair share of war crimes on both sides. The Holocaust, Nanjing Massacre, Hiroshima and Nagasaki for historical examples. This one's no different, humans torture Abyssal prisoners, Abyssals use Fleet Girl prisoners as lab rats. The only reason WE haven't been screwed yet is because the tank and plane girls are better subjects now, that and the Abyssals are ultra-confident in their victory. You think your fellow humans are a bunch of schweinhunds, but the Abyssals aren't angels neither, Abyss Admiral…" With that, she interrupted herself with a deep breath and a sigh, her irritated expression toned down to one of simple disgruntlement. "I suppose it doesn't matter what either of us say though, history will decide who's right in the end."

We didn't say another word until we've arrived at the storage room and finished checking supplies. I noticed Bismarck was rather unnerved, glancing at both of us to see if we were upset over the debate, while Max just seemed indifferent, though much less irritated-looking than before. What Max said wasn't anything new for me, but she did earn quite a lot of respect from me for that, especially after my first impressions of her being just stubborn and vengeful. For someone so young, she sure was more mature than most grown-ups I've known, that seems to be a common trait among Fleet Girls, sometimes Abyssals as well. Eventually I got bored of the silence again, so I asked something else that was on my mind. "Hey, who was that submarine with you anyway? She looked and sounded Japanese, what's she doing here?" Immediately upon the sub's mention, both of my guides facepalmed and groaned.

"Trust me, she's German."

"_Used_ to be German."

"Come on, Max, don't say that, just because she's how she is now doesn't mean she's not a German! She's just…a little different now."

"…Is this a sore subject?" I asked, confused and a bit worried from their reaction.

"Nein, nothing of the sort! It's just…a little awkward to think about. Her name's U-511, or Yuu as we used to call her. She was part of a sort of cultural exchange program we had with Japan, for old times' sake considering historical context of her name. We sent her to Japan for a year, and…well…"

"Japan happened."

"D-Don't be so blunt, Max! That almost sounded racist!"

"How else should I describe it? Ah, since we're passing by our cells, let me pick up a photo before the exchange happened, you have to see it to believe it." With that, Max hurried off around a corner while Bismarck simply shook her head in mild disapproval. The destroyer soon returned with said photo and handed it to me. It seemed to be a group photo from a sending-off party for Yuu, though while I could recognize Bismarck and the other three amongst the two dozen or so Fleet Girls, the submarine herself was nowhere to be found…until Max pointed one girl out. "She used to look like that."

I thought she was pulling my leg at first. Completely different uniforms aside, the girl in the photo had pale skin, not as unnaturally pale as the Abyssals but enough to give her a sort of ghostly beauty. More importantly, everything about her, her expression, her posture, gave her a timid but refined air; whereas the sub I saw had incredibly tanned skin and looked like some kind of cheerful airhead! Hell, I couldn't even imagine the two girls wearing each other's uniform they felt so incompatible, the only thing they had in common was hair color!

"Believe it or not, she became what you saw back at the port in the span of one year."

"We still have no idea exactly what happened while she was in Japan, besides it had something to do with the Japanese I-series submarines she was stationed with. Regardless, the experience had a lot of…influence on her."

"They assimilated her."

"They're not Borgs, Max, they didn't 'assimilate' anything. She's still Yuu, just more cheerful and outgoing now, that's a good thing!"

"They changed her name to Ro-500."

"A different name doesn't mean a different person! She-"

"She uses Japanese honorifics and is obsessed with being 'moe' now."

"Well…yes it's somewhat strange, but most girls like being cute! It's not-"

"She has a Japanese verbal tic now. A VERBAL TIC. _DESU TE_."

"Okay okay I get it, geez! She was close friends with all of us and it's unsettling seeing how she is now. Regardless, she's happy right now so who are we to judge? I believe we should learn to respect her life choices."

Meanwhile I just followed behind them quietly, feeling awkward while the two continued arguing about Yuu's nationalization by the Japanese. It's not like there was much for me to say on the matter, so I just let them talk amongst themselves while we finished up the inspection, and they didn't stop until we finished up and went to check on Hoppou. That was quite a sight, seeing her surrounded by maybe a dozen Fleet Girls all taking turns petting and hugging her. It's like my worst nightmare as a child, being surrounded by aunties cooing and pinching my cheeks until they're all sore; good thing Hoppou doesn't mind the attention herself too much. Not wanting to interrupt just yet, we sat aside at another table and had a drink while watching the group play some simple chess and card games.

"Aren't you gonna join them, Bismarck? No need to be shy, not like you'll be the odd one out."

"P-Perhaps some other time."

I chuckled and turned to the destroyer instead. "Why don't you wanna play with Hoppou anyway, Max? Because she's 'the enemy'?"

"Partially. She is as much an enemy to us as we are to her, and it makes me uncomfortable approaching an Abyssal in such an intimate manner. Even if she's a child with an innocent heart, we've still killed many of her kind, and she's likely killed many of ours. By the time this war's over, one of us is most likely going to be dead…a friendship between Fleet Girls and Abyssals just isn't meant to be."

"She's plenty friendly with you girls right now though?"

"That's just because she's like a kid at a zoo full of tamed lions. All those girls over there cooing and petting her? They'd be firing cannons at her without hesitation less than a year ago, probably vice versa as well."

"…Maybe it doesn't have to be this way forever?"

"Maybe. Maybe pigs will grow wings and learn to fly too."

We drank in silence after that for another half hour before it was finally time to mosey on home. The Fleet Girls were all pretty disappointed of course, though Hoppou was getting a bit tired of being treated like a puppy so she wasn't that reluctant to go. She was given a few souvenirs to take home though, so we went back with 3 more model planes in toll, the little Princess has never looked happier.

Nothing else significant for the rest of the day, but this trip was fairly interesting. I'm glad Hoppou made a lot of new friends, but Max is right, in a sense. Once I free those girls, it's going to be straight back to shooting each other on sight... All those friends Hoppou just made might not live to see another summer. If only it didn't have to be this way…

…Maybe it doesn't? Maybe, just maybe…I'll need to talk to Middia again, and Inazuma too when I see her again. Some contacts back at the brass that aren't assholes, once enough time has passed…Also the right files, if Yorktown and Hornet worked out with Zuikaku…I'm getting some very faint ideas. It's a long shot, like, lightyears long, but hey, what do I even have left to lose? Gonna start writing plans once I get up tomorrow…


	8. Chapter 8 - Silent Farewell

1/4/20XY

So, it's finally time, huh. Just checked the coordinates, tomorrow's the day. Preparations are largely complete, I'll just need to pack the gear into the sub tomorrow and I'm all set. While I have a few things I'd like to write in my last entry as an Abyssal Admiral, let me first start with today's events.

I never liked April Fools, always thought of it as just a stupid excuse for people to be pricks to each other. Everyone thinks it's "all in good fun", but they don't know how much their so-called pranks usually hurt the victims physically or mentally. Still remember the incident with Keith and that bee cake, it was a bloody miracle no one got stung, Mindy could've DIED even! But noooo, it was funny the way she screamed and ran about flailing her arms in sheer terror, who cared if she was allergic, April Fools! Or that retarded fake proposal they did on Ralphie, like just because he was a guy they thought he'd take it well. I don't care if the victim's a guy or a girl, you don't just get someone's life's hopes up like that and then tell them to stop crying and take a joke when you dash those hopes to the ground, seriously, f*ck April Fools. It's not like ALL pranks are bad, I've seen plenty of harmless ones that were actually funny, like Space Cadets or even Hornet's Nicholas Cage prank even if Yorktown was kind of frothing at the mouth a bit at the end of that, she'd get a stack of new material every month, and it's not like pin-ups are THAT important. It's just that most people go way past the line, and today only reaffirms why I hate April Fools so much, repeatedly.

It all started when Luna shook me awake this morning, saying everyone had prepared a surprise for me at the canteen. Now, I've learned by now that surprises around here usually aren't entirely pleasant for me, but I was still pretty drowsy since I just woke up, so I was like "Oh, okay then." and went with her, not thinking too much about it. Suffice it to say I didn't stay that way long when I walked into a pitch dark mess hall, someone turned on the lights and I found myself facing a dozen cannons pointing right at my face. Reagan, Woverly, Neko, a couple battleships along with the Princesses sans Hoppou were all there, everyone's gazes cold and steely. I could feel my heart stop for a second. Instinctively I tried to back away, only to feel Luna's handcannon pressed against my back. All I could do was slowly raise my hands in a sign of surrender and hope I didn't get shot to pieces.

"Oh Cassie~" Hornet spoke up in a sing-song voice more sinister than I've ever heard it. "How nice of you to show up! We couldn't start the party without the main star!"

My mind was still in shock, but there's only one conceivable reason why they'd be doing this, at least at the time. If Inazuma could figure it out, why not them? However, I was absolutely certain these girls would not be nearly as agreeable as her if I fessed up. I had to keep the act going to the very end, however hopeless it may be. "W-What's going on here? If this was your idea for a surprise party welcoming then congratulations, it certainly is surprising. Now drop the cannons, this isn't funny."

"What's going on? You know full well what's going on, Admiral. Or should we say, _spy_." Yorktown's words, particularly the last one, made my blood run cold, but I channeled my inner poker player and made sure I didn't show anything on my face other than confusion and mild annoyance.

"Spy? What kind of sick joke is this? Luna, what's going on?" I took the chance to turn my head and look at Luna before Hornet could shout at me to stop, hoping I could find an answer in the one I knew I could trust the most, and when our eyes met, almost instantly all my worries faded away. No wonder they positioned her behind me, her attempt at a determined poker face couldn't mask even half of how uncomfortable she was feeling, and it wasn't the "I don't want to shoot my commander" inner turmoil kind of uncomfortable, it's the "why are we doing this, this is so f*cking stupid" kind. The kind of look I've had the few times I was forced into helping my academy friends with their stupid mischief. With my panic lessened I also immediately remembered the date and what it entailed, so when she stayed silent and I turned back towards the group, I was totally calm inside, though for their sake I still kind of tried to keep an act up. "There must be some sort of misunderstanding here, lower your weapons right now, this is an order!"

"Excuses are futile! Say your prayers! Ladies, execute this backstabbing traitor on the count of 3! One! Two! THREE!" On Hornet's mark, I made a comically fake scream and pretended to cower in fear as the girls opened fire…covering me in colorful streamers and confetti, at which point everyone either started laughing or groaned in disappointment.

"Dammit Cassie, that was even worse than Darth Vader! You could've at least TRIED to sound frightened!"

I just sighed in exasperation and walked in, followed by Luna who quickly received a bop on the head from Reagan for ruining the prank with her bad acting. "What do you mean, are you implying I wasn't scared with a dozen cannons pointing at my face? I didn't know you thought I was that badass, I'm flattered. How do you even know about April Fools when you've never heard of Christmas anyway?"

"No reason~ I just got messaged by a friend from HQ about it a couple days ago. Now how could I sit idly by on a day dedicated to pranks?"

"I would've thought you'd prank Yorktown instead."

She shrugged nonchalantly to that question, though I could see just a hint of a blush. "Eh, I thought I'd cut her some slack after the tragedy that was her fap collection. Plus, it's not as funny when the victim's expecting it. I thought you WANTED me to stop pranking her and get along better?"

"I do, just didn't think you'd switch targets to me. And seriously, this really wasn't funny, I almost had a heart attack!"

"Aww, sorry Cassie~" With a chuckle she gave me a jokingly condescending pat on the head like one would a little kid to comfort them. "What, feeling offended we'd even imply you might betray us? That's so sweet of you! Don't worry, we know you'd never do that, it was just a joke!" I'm glad she was too busy giving me a sarcastic hug to see my face, because even I couldn't mask how uncomfortable her words made me feel. If irony was a currency I'd never have to work a day in my life again. "Come on, cheer up, we have a proper surprise for you to help you feel better! Hoppy, wheel it in will you?"

Right on cue, Hoppou comes in from the kitchen, wheeling a cart with a massive cake on top and drawing everyone's attention, including my own. According to Yorktown, it was to celebrate my being posted here for half a year, and I won't lie, with all the whipped cream on it, it looked VERY enticing…until I remembered what happened on Valentine's Day. Despite Hornet's repeated reassurances I turned her down for my own safety, and when she gave me the puppy dog eyes I KNEW she was up to something. Through sheer willpower I resisted those eyes and said I really wasn't hungry, maybe they could save a slice for me for later, and headed back to my office. I know it was pretty rude of me, but I was still pissed over the ambush prank at the time, so I really wasn't in the mood to humor them. Turned out that was the right move anyway, Luna came by later and told me they slapped the metric ton of whipped cream and toppings on to hide the original cake that had mysteriously turned purple despite being a chocolate cake. They would've thrown it out but, well, Hornet. Goddamn April Fools…They did plan on making it up to me after that though with an actual ice cream cake, which they asked Luna to make and bring with her, and THAT, was one of the best cakes I've ever eaten, cheered me right back up. At least, until the next stupid prank of the day.

Later today I found my tablet blinking, which meant a new e-mail, most likely from HQ. Like the unsuspecting idiot that I am, I turned it on to check, and the topic almost made me freak out immediately.

"Important: Prisoner Conversion Program"

With an unsteady hand I clicked into the message, and it was as I feared. HQ was bored of keeping the Fleet Girls around and was planning to start drafting the strongest of them into a research program to create more Princesses. There was even a list of candidates and their data files…including Shigure, Yuudachi and Kiso. The more I read, the more I panicked. They were to be transferred to HQ by the end of the week, if tomorrow's inspection isn't the right one…I was just fretting about how I'm gonna have to change my plans when I read the last sentence.

For further enquiries, please contact Admiral Fu Ying Choi, April, some kind of e-mail address, I forgot. April. Fu. Son of a bitch. Sometimes I seriously hate the guys at HQ, even if they ARE a lot more amusing and, on occasion, cooperative than our own military bureaucracy. Y'know, I'm still kind of wondering if that REALLY is an April Fools or if the Abyssals literally have an Admiral named April Fu, but it doesn't really matter anymore, because an hour or two ago I checked tomorrow's inspection coordinates now that they've been sent over, and guess what, tomorrow's my return to Fleet Biscayne. We'll see who's laughing at the end of tomorrow. None of us, that's who.

That's about all that's happened today, despite all that it feels really tame compared to what's going down tomorrow. It's a little hard to believe it's time to say my final farewells to all the girls here…especially Luna. Fate has brought us back together only to tear us apart again, huh. I'm still glad I got the time that I did, however short it was. To be able to see her smile even just one more time was more than I could ever ask for…and now it's time for me to repay her. I'll save everyone, the Rainy Sisters and the rest of Fleet Biscayne, the Kreigsmarine, Okada's Fleet, everyone…and then I'll end this infernal war. Maybe. No promises my plans for that last part will work, in fact it's highly unlikely I can pull it off, too many uncertainties, too many people involved, but I sure as hell will try my best. Hopefully my faith in at least some of the leaders of both sides will not prove mistaken.

It's not just Luna neither, it's hard to believe just how much I'm going to miss everyone else as well. While Fleet Biscayne mostly felt like students and younger siblings to me, the Abyssals, especially the Princesses, remind me more of my best buddies in the academy, in that really informal sort of intimacy. I mean, I know they're all physically younger than I am, as depressing as that is for me, but they treat me as a comrade, a sister-in-arms even. Despite being their Admiral they act pretty casual with me, and I'll admit that IS a nice change of pace. It's not that I don't like being seen or treated as an authority figure, but it does make me feel more relaxed this way, being treated as an equal more so than as a superior. It's less formal and stuffy that way. It's kind of funny when I think about it, the very same girls who I first feared and even resented so much became some of my best friends, who would've thought. Our little get-togethers, the Christmas party, New Years, even Valentine's…They were some of the most memorable events in my life. I'm really going to miss these girls. Wonder if they'll miss me too?

I've been contemplating whether to leave a final letter for the girls to explain myself, but ultimately decided against it. It'll just look like me trying to defend my betrayal to them, and it'll be sappy as hell anyway. With how uncertain the peace plan is, anything I say about it will likely be an empty promise too, so it's best I just leave silently. In any case though I've taken the liberty of buying some parting gifts for some of the girls, or just plain leaving some stuff behind, not like I can take my luggage with me without raising suspicions. It's not really an attempt to make them hate me less, or as any kind of compensation, just…as a thank you, perhaps, for giving me this experience. It just doesn't feel right not leaving them SOMETHING. Hmm…well, maybe I WILL leave a message, just a little note. Brief and simple, just as a good bye. Who knows if we'll ever see each other again afterall…

* * *

><p>Dear all,<p>

By the time you find and read this, I'll have become your enemy. While these words may seem meaningless and even deceitful after my betrayal, I'd still like you all to know that whatever happens from this point, I'll still see you all as some of the best companions I've ever met, and I'll cherish the moments we've spent together as fond memories. However, as much as it pains me to do so after our wonderful times together, my loyalty lies with the Fleet I once commanded as well as my people, and I can only hope that one day, some of you will find a way to forgive me. This isn't personal, it's just something I must do.

As my last act as your Admiral, I've taken the liberty of leaving or ordering a few gifts for some of you, as a way of saying thank you for putting up with me I suppose. If all goes well the packages will arrive next week. I certainly hope you'll be able to take some enjoyment out of them, cheer you up if even just a little.

To Neko and Woverly, I've ordered a dozen novels along the lines of The Da Vinci Code, I know you two like reading that stuff, hope you'll find these just as entertaining. I've left behind my current novels as well, in case you haven't finished or want to reread any of them.

To Reagan and friends, two new gaming laptops and some games to go with it, you wanted something fun to play with so there you go. Remember to share them around, they're not for just one of you y'know.

To Yorktown, there should be several dozen magazines that you might be interested in. They're second-hand and a little old, but I hope they'll suffice. Also paid the subscription fees for the next year, enjoy yourself. Hornet, please refrain from ruining these too.

To Hornet, an abridged and updated copy of Colonel Sassacre's Daunting Text of Magical Frivolity and Practical Japery. It pretty much speaks for itself, hope you'll find it entertaining and inspiring.

To Hoppou, a complete set of WWII Japanese warplane models, and to Middia, two pairs of armored combat gloves, for all your punching needs. I would've bought food, but…well, y'know, I wanted to give you something a little more long-lasting.

And finally, to Luna, a sapphire moon pendant. Perhaps one day we can go stargazing together once more.

It has been an honor to have met you all and served as your Admiral, however briefly, and may we meet again in a more peaceful time.

Farewell.

Cassandra Wilhelm

* * *

><p>There, it's done, I'll leave it in the secret compartment, chip the cover to make it more obvious. I'm pretty sure they'll find it when they inevitably search my room after tomorrow. Those gifts sure took massive chunks out of my wallet and bank account, but where I'm going I won't be needing money anyway.<p>

It's getting pretty late. Considering how much action tomorrow's gonna have, I really should rest early…but I also really want to go stargazing with Luna just one more time. What to do, what to do…Y'know what, I've lived off less sleep than this before, I can rest when this mess is over. Hope the sky's clear tonight…

* * *

><p>"It's been awhile, hasn't it?"<p>

Two figures sat beneath a roof of endless stars, bobbing up and down in time with the gentle waves. Against the odds the sky was clear, allowing Admiral and secretary to enjoy a flawless view of the sky.

"It has, yes. Shame that there's no full moon tonight, but the lack of clouds make up for it. Perhaps we can come again in a few weeks when the moon is full? Hopefully the weather will be as pleasant then."

While the Abyssal continued gazing out at the timeless beauty of the view, she didn't notice that her commander was instead gazing at her. The pale, slender and frail-looking Princess, with her soft lilac eyes, silvery locks tied up in a long side ponytail flowing in the sea breeze, lips curved in a gentle smile as she looked out at the sea and stars. It was a sight Cassandra would never get tired of, and the thought that this might be the last time she'd ever see this sight again made her heart wretch, as if a part of it was about to be torn out. Her invitation to stargaze again in the near future only made that feeling worse, knowing it would be an impossibility to take up her offer.

"…Hey. Luna?" She had grown very accustomed to that name by now, even though sometimes in her private writings she'd still call her Harusame for old time's sake. It was a fitting name she had to admit, Luna.

"Yes?" The Abyssal turned her body to the side, facing her commander with a look of curiosity. Looking her secretary up and down, Cassandra was also reminded of the first time she saw Harusame in this form, the elation at seeing her alive mixed with the grief at seeing her in this state, the deathly paleness of her once healthy complexion, her missing legs. While she still felt sorry for her disability despite the Abyssals' attempt at making up for it, she had also grown used to the girl's new appearance. In the end, names and appearances didn't matter afterall. Harusame, Luna; Fleet Girl, Abyssal; she was still the same kind and lovable person she had always known…which made the decision all the more difficult. It would've been impossible even, if not for the others still waiting for her.

"What do you think of me?"

Luna was taken off guard by that question and blushed bashfully, looking downward to avert her eyes, feeling awkward about making comments on anyone, much less the commander she so respected. "U-Umm…I think you're a wonderful commander, most certainly, yes! You treat your subordinates as equals and genuinely care for us…I still haven't thanked you enough for helping me recover after Paris. Also-"

"Thanks, I'm glad you think I'm a good commander, but I'm not asking that question as a commander." The Admiral raised a hand to pause the girl sitting beside her, before taking off her Admiral's cap and placing it aside. "I wanted to know what you think of me as a person. A human."

The Princess hesitated for even longer this time, unsure of what to say. "A-As a person? I'm…not sure how to answer that beyond thinking you're a very kind and nice person. Like I said, you genuinely care for us, not just as a superior but as an equal, yes…You're also very fun to be around, with all the activities you've held for us to help us relax, yes…I…umm…" She struggled to find the words. It wasn't that she didn't feel a lot of things about the woman in front of her, it was just really difficult to articulate those feelings all of a sudden. "I think you'd make an excellent psychiatrist…I mean, you helped me with my…trauma, and Hornet and Yorktown have been on far friendlier terms since they went with you on that first prison inspection, yes…"

"And what about the fact I betrayed my own people to help you girls?"

That one made the Abyssal tense up. That was a touchy topic, for more reasons than Cassandra might have imagined. "I've…heard from some people about your reasons. Personally, I think you've simply chosen what you believe to be the lesser of two evils, yes…That is nothing to be ashamed of. I'm certain many humans in your military have far less noble intentions in mind, you're not a lesser person simply for switching sides."

The admiral took a deep breath and sighed, contemplating whether to ask the final question or just stop there. In a moment of impulse however, she decided to go ahead with it. "Luna, I'm sure you know you used to be a Fleet Girl too, right?"

"I do, yes, though I have no memory of who I might've been."

"This might sound like a really weird question, but here's a hypothetical situation. Imagine that as a Fleet Girl, you sacrificed yourself to protect your Admiral, hoping she or he would live on to lead your sisters and comrades to victory. Now as an Abyssal, you find him or her working for the Abyssals instead. What would you think?"

"…Awfully specific…" The Abyssal looked at her kind of funny, making Cassandra avert her gaze, opting to stare down at the waters instead. Maybe she went a little too far with that question, in immediate hindsight even she found it sounded incredibly suspicious. In the heat of the moment she just blurted it out, so used to confiding in her secretary about pretty much anything. She wanted to know what Harusame would think of her current actions and decisions, even though the Admiral couldn't tell the whole story anyway. Before she could take it back and ask said secretary to forget it however, Luna hesitantly responded. "Well, first of all…I wouldn't protect or save someone so they could do something specific for me I think…I'd protect them solely because I want them to live, yes. If I sacrificed myself to protect my former Admiral, it would be because I thought she was a good person, not just for her to avenge me or my comrades. Even if she would ultimately switch sides to help my former enemies, I'd believe she'd have a good reason to do so, whatever it may be, yes."

"Is that so…" Cassandra mumbled, still looking down at her reflection in the water. She wondered if Luna already put the pieces together after that extremely tactless and impulsive question. Probably. Still, it was nice to know what her secretary thought, and she did have a good reason to turncoat, though hopefully not what Luna might have in mind. She certainly hoped the Abyssal would be just as understanding when she betrays her again the next day.

But that was a thought she could dwell on later, she'd have plenty of time to think once tomorrow's over. For now, she simply stayed silent and looked back up to the stars, letting the view and the company drive her worries away however briefly. With the conversation over, Luna rested her head on her admiral's shoulder after awhile, who wrapped an arm around her secretary's in turn, holding her close. Slumber took them eventually, and there they stayed until the darkness was chased away and the sparkling sky replaced with a golden shroud as the sun rose over the horizon.

* * *

><p>When the submarine surfaced back within port in the early morning and the occupants climbed out the hatch, to both Cassandra's and Luna's surprise, there was utter chaos. Abyssals were scrambling about, passing around equipment and getting into position for deployment in a scene of near panic.<p>

"Cassie, there you are! Where the hell have you been? Going on a late-night secret date with cute little Lunie?" Hornet was rushing over to the admiral with a look of mild urgency while Cassandra and Luna were still looking around confused, causing the two to turn towards the Water Princess for answers. "You could've just done it in your bedroom! Or do you have a thing for outdoors?" The Princess teased, chuckling when the two's faces immediately flushed red and looked away. "Kidding, kidding! But seriously, where did you go and why are you soaked?"

"We went up to the surface for some fresh air and ended up falling asleep, then I fell in the water when I woke up." Cassandra coughed, doing her best to recover her composure. There were more pressing concerns to deal with than being flustered. "Don't mind me, what's going on?"

"Urgent support request, we're deploying to Russia! I don't know what's going on over there, something about cyborg bears or some other weird crap. Makes me wonder if our girls there are high or something, but if HQ took them seriously then we may as well take a field trip! Admittedly cyborg bears wouldn't even be the weirdest thing we've come across, not after that one thing Japan tried according to Zui's stories. I am SO glad I don't remember that first-hand, eurgh." Whatever she was referencing, it caused the Princess to shiver, visibly disturbed. "A-Anyway, we were just looking for you for orders but couldn't find you anywhere, so the Fleet is kinda unorganized right now since we had to deal with it ourselves. No worries though, we've pretty much just deployed everyone over the last few hours anyway, we're the last bunch, so just sit back and relax, Cassie~ We'll even bring back one of those fluffy Russian hats for you!" With a laugh, the Princess patted her Admiral on the back and left to organize the last squadron, beckoning the Destroyer Princess to follow. "Come on Lunie, let's go wrestle some bears!"

"Urgent sortie…that's unfortunate. You going to be okay, Luna?" Cassandra asked, knowing the young Princess was still disturbed by bloodshed, to which the Abyssal nodded with reassuring confidence.

"I'll be alright, commander, don't worry. Simply do what I must, yes?"

"Yeah. Good luck out there, come back safe!"

"Yes, commander!" With a smiling salute, the Abyssal followed after her senior, catching up quickly in her wheelchair. She watched her go for what might be the last time, the commander turning around back to her office to collect her diary and make the final preparations. The sudden emergency in Russia was like a blessing from heaven itself, because with the vast majority of the ocean troops heading to reinforce the front there, that's going to give the freed Fleet Girls some breathing room and give her more time before the break-out's exposed, not to mention it gives her a very good excuse to bring a weak escort.

Striding into her bedroom, she retrieved her diary and slipped it into her coat pocket, leaving the note in its place. She took a step back, looking around at her home and office for the past six months one last time, and bid the place farewell as she stepped out.

"Alright, Cassandra. Let's do this."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Lunie, where're you going? We're on a tight schedule here!"<p>

"Please don't worry about me, yes, I just forgot to do something important. I know the route, so go without me, I'll catch up later!"

"Umm…this is probably why I shouldn't be Admiral, but sure, why not. Don't take too long, alright?"

"Understood, yes."


	9. Chapter 9 - Until We Meet Again

"I-Is it really alright for me to be your escort?" The Ri-class asked nervously, twiddling her thumbs as she walked alongside her admiral. "I mean…I'm not very strong at all…"

"Oh don't worry about it, Rip! It's not like anything happens during these inspections really. The other stronger girls might not be here right now, but I feel perfectly safe with someone with a big strong name like Rip!" Cassandra patted the bashful Abyssal on the back. Ironic that someone with such a name would be so meek. Soon they reached the armory, where the two worked to load several sets of different armaments onto a cart, from cruiser torpedoes to battleship cannons.

"Excuse me for asking, but…why do we need to bring weapons again?" The Abyssal stuttered, a hint of shyness and confusion under her soft, somewhat monotone voice.

"Well, this is pretty embarrassing really…" The Admiral chuckled, putting on the best act she could. "Y'see, last time I visited this particular prison, the guards there asked if I could give them some new weapons…discretely. Apparently they got really drunk the other day and somehow managed to trash their current gear during their intoxicated antics, and it'll be a serious pain if word gets out about that. Call me a softie, but seeing them look so apologetic I couldn't resist helping them out just this one time, y'know? The problem is I kind of forgot to ask for their measurements so I don't really know their specifications, so I wanted to bring a few sets of our spares for them to test out, take what fits the most. It's not like we don't have surplus anyway, and if I'm doing them a favor, may as well go the whole way, right? Just don't tell anyone about this. We're trying to be…discrete, afterall."

"I-I understand, Admiral, I'll be quiet." Rip mumbled and remained silent while they finished loading up the equipment and headed for the submarine, no one else around to notice them or get suspicious. While they quickly loaded up the sub with the dozen or so sets of equipment, the commander could see the Ri-class had a sort of look in her eye, a look of reverence, like she really respected the admiral for helping out her subordinates like that, covering up for them. While the Abyssal only had positive intentions in mind, it only made the commander's heart ache, knowing what was to come.

With the equipment loaded, it wasn't long before the hatch sealed shut and the two set off towards the day's port of call, with Rip at the controls to monitor the sub and Cassandra sitting comfortably on the metal benches. Making sure all the readings were normal, the Ri-class hummed a soft tune to herself, happy to get the chance to travel with her commander. She always wanted to get closer to the admiral, but every time she found the bravery to try, someone from the commander's tight group of friends would always be with her, whether it be the Princesses, Neko, Reagan, Woverly…all the cool, strong girls she could never compete with, and every time she found her bravery quickly withering away before she'd slink off, dejected. Finally though, with the others off to sortie, she had her chance! If only she could just find the words to say, make a good impression…She continued to hum to herself, trying to think of a way to start a conversation without it quickly getting awkward, too occupied to notice the commander she respected and wanted to get to know so much had quietly left her seat, opened the storage area, and retrieved her saber. The Abyssal twiddled her thumbs again nervously, wondering what to say. She didn't want to ask too many questions, having already pried into a secret before they even began their journey, she really shouldn't ask about the trip further…Perhaps she should start with a joke to crack the ice? She knew a few from her friends, but what if her sense of humor wasn't the same as the admiral's? The Abyssal continued second-guessing herself while her commander silently unsheathed her blade and crept closer and closer. Finally, the Ri-class decided to just go for it. She couldn't just keep on doubting herself like that, confidence was what she needed, confidence, like the stronger girls! Hornet doesn't hesitate with her mischievous ideas, and she was one of the Admiral's best friends! Yeah, she had to go for it, have some faith in herself! She cleared her throat and prepared herself, yet when she opened her mouth, she found the only sound she could make was a faint gurgle. A sharp, agonizing pain through her throat from something sticking through the back and out the front of her neck, coated in blue blood that was also splattered on the control panel. Her vision faded, her senses dulled, barely able to even register she'd just been stabbed. The last thing that went through her head were two words, a barely audible whisper right by her ear. "I'm sorry." Then, nothing.

Slowly, almost gently, the blade retreated from the Abyssal's bloodied throat and her lifeless body toppled to the ground, eyes still open, yet empty, showing only Cassandra's reflection when she crouched beside the slain girl and closed them for her. It seemed Rip was about to say something, the admiral thought while she hastily dragged the body into the storage area and set about cleaning the mess she had made, wiping the blood from the floor and panels in case anyone was to look in. Too bad she'd never know what the Ri-class was going to say now. "Rest in peace, Rip." She mumbled before closing the door, only then realizing the irony in the poor girl's name. If there was any solace to be found, at least the Abyssals could be revived, so she might indeed count as "resting". Either way, there was no time to mourn, Cassandra thought as she took Rip's place at the controls. There was no turning back, the fate of the world and, more importantly, the fate of her fleet may rest in her hands, and she would do what she must to finish her mission.

* * *

><p>In little over an hour, the previously upgraded submarine surfaced within the port of its destination. Putting on her best friendly smile, Cassandra unsealed the hatch and climbed her way out, able to do little more for now than hope her assault team was prepared.<p>

"Ah, Admiral, you've arrived rather earlier than expected." The familiar Ru-class greeted her as the arrival jumped off her vessel, landing neatly on the floor. The raven-haired woman stared at the hatch for a few seconds, almost expectantly, and raised an eyebrow when no one else emerged. "Where's your escort? Is she asleep again?"

"Nah, didn't bring one, everyone's off to Russia due to an emergency support request. You heard the news, haven't you?" Originally Cassandra would indeed have used Neko as an excuse, hoping Russell would trust her and not check for herself. With the emergency sortie however, she had a much more convincing lie at her disposal. "It's not like anything happens around here, my old fleet's upset with me, but they wouldn't actually attack me or anything. Plus, I have you guards around, it'll be fine."

"Yeah, heard of it, some weird shit about bears and whatnot. Oh well, the escort from your side's just a precaution anyway, who gives a damn. Soooo, judging by 'upset', I'd say it didn't go too well last time?"

The Ru-class smirked, amused yet still somewhat sympathetic of the former commander of the prisoners who simply sighed sadly. "Yeah, I was hoping I could do a little better this time. I know it doesn't matter much technically, but I still feel really uncomfortable about them hating me like this, so I kind of want to try giving a proper speech to them, see if I can make at least a few of them a bit more understanding, y'know? I even brought my old saber with me, always wore it around while I was their admiral, figured it'd help the image." Cassandra replied, even boldly pointing out her weapon to the Abyssal who eyed the saber, nodding with approval.

"Certainly looks badass and authoritative, I'll say that much."

"Glad you like it. So, let's get to the inspection, shall we? While we're at it, please tell the others to gather everyone at the mess hall so I can talk to them after we're done. Tell the guards to stay there fully armed too, I want them nearby in case things get ugly."

"Understood, Admiral." With a salute, the Ru-class relayed the commands to her fellow wardens and the two began the inspection as normal, checking the generators, supplies, sanitary conditions, the usual. It took less than half an hour to complete this time around before they headed to the mess hall, where indeed everyone had been gathered, a good two to three dozen Fleet Girls lined up before a makeshift podium and as many sets of eyes bearing down on their former commander as soon as she walked in. Despite their best efforts to remain inexpressive and appear apathetic, many of their eyes betrayed their feelings of betrayal, sorrow and disappointment still. It was more difficult than she imagined to ignore their gazes, but she managed to keep her composure as she ascended the podium and turned to face the crowd, the 4 Abyssal guards standing beside her, a Ri-class, a Wo-class, a Ru-class and a Ta-class. Before she could begin however, the Ta-class stepped forward and whispered in her ear.

"We're missing one Shigure, she's lying in bed refusing to get up, something about a headache after she tried alcohol last night. Is that alright, or should we fetch her regardless?"

"No, that's quite alright, let her rest all she needs." The commander replied. Good, things seemed to be going to plan at least. Turning back to face the Fleet Girls once more, making eye contact with two in the front row in particular, their determined gazes telling her they're ready as well. She coughed, cleared her throat, placed a hand on her sword hilt and began.

"Hello, Fleet Biscayne. It's been a long time since we've last seen each other, I'm glad you all seem physically well at least. I'd like to think most of you would've wanted to see me again, though I'm sure none of you would've expected or wanted our reunion to be under these circumstances. Now, as you all know, I'm not much of a speech person, but I know at least a fraction of how betrayed you all feel, and all of you want an explanation for why I'm here-"

"Screw us, why don't you go explain to Haru why you're turning your back on us!" Suzukaze cried out, trying to keep the tears from leaving her eyes.

"I would if I could, but she's not here anymore and that's exactly why I'M here!" She shouted right back. Seeing her precious fleet's disappointed and resentful faces was gut wrenching for the admiral and she wanted nothing more than to hurry it up, but until the signal came, she had to buy time. "We both know what she wanted the most, for this war to end, for you all to be safe!"

"And you think helping the Abyssals is going to make that happen?" Suzukaze shouted again, glaring despite her sisters' efforts to calm her down. "Yeah they're stronger, yeah they're more likely to win, but are you so STUPID that you'd think they'd really just let us go when they win? There wouldn't even BE a world for you or us if the Abyssals win! They'll execute you and all the other humans and then brainwash us into their own ranks! The only reason we're here 'fine' right now is to draw sympathy points from idiots like you!"

Come on, Cassandra, she, they, just don't know the truth yet…it'll be better once the plan goes into action, so chin up and keep lying…A bead of sweat dripped down her chin when suddenly, a tiny scrap of green paper floated into the doorway. It was practically unnoticeable to anyone who wasn't keeping an eye there, and even if they did, they'd likely think it's just trash getting blown in by the ceiling fans. To the commander however, it meant a lot more than that. Her muscles tensed, cleared her throat once more and spoke up.

"I understand you don't trust the Abyssals, and even I can't really be certain whether I'll be betrayed when all this is over, but I know one thing, and that's your fates won't be pleasant even if us humans win." That one caused the girls to mumble amongst themselves, even Kiso and Yuudachi looked concerned, unsure whether it was just part of the lie, or if their Admiral was telling the truth. "To me and some others, you girls are all people, the same as us, but there are plenty of others who see you as nothing more than weapons, especially the people in charge, those even higher than I am. What do you think will happen to weapons once the enemies they were created for are gone?" She gave a dramatic pause, as if to let the girls think it over, before she sighed and continued, making eye contact with the same two girls once more. "But no matter what I say now, even if I believe this is the best option for everyone, I still betrayed you all, betrayed Harusame, and nothing I say's going to change that. I can only hope that one day, at least some of you will find it in your hearts…to _forgive me_."

The Abyssal wardens were well-trained veterans, but none of them could anticipate or react fast enough to the bloody chaos that ensued in that split second. Russell was the fastest to recover from the shock, and by then, the Ri-class' head was already on the ground, severed in a clean slice from Cassandra's saber; the Wo-class had her neck crushed against the wall by Kiso's elbow, knocking her out instantly; Yuudachi had pounced on the Ta-class with a ferocious battlecry that sounded more like a warhound's howl, somehow able to tear into the battleship's flesh with just her nails and teeth which had grown lethally sharp all of a sudden; and Russell herself, closest to the door, was barely able to shield herself with her massive cannons from Shigure's gunfire, the supposedly ill destroyer having sprung into the doorway with a pair of Ri-class cannons that she'd retrieved from Rip's body, though the Ru-class couldn't have known where she got them. It had all happened simultaneously, almost as if the four had rehearsed it countless times. Before the last Abyssal standing could turn around to fire at the double-betrayer with her other cannon, Kiso was already sprinting towards her, catching Cassandra's sword as she passed by the commander, and slashed through Russell's throat. It took little over 5 seconds before the last Abyssal toppled to the ground.

"That…was the shortest but greatest party EVER, POI!" Yuudachi bounced and cheered, hands and face dripping with Abyssal blood after tearing the Ta-class' throat out with her teeth. Wiping it clean on the Wo-class' cloak after a coup de grace through the Abyssal's heart, Kiso handed the blade back to her commander. "Truly a fine weapon, Cassandra. Makes me miss my own all the more." Only Shigure stayed silent while she lowered her weapon, as well as the Admiral herself as she sheathed her saber, neither relishing the bloodshed. It was a few seconds before the ambush team remembered they had an audience and looked back at the other Fleet Girls who were all standing there, eyes wide and mouths agape. As usual, it was Suzukaze who first found her voice.

"H…H-Holy SHIT!"

* * *

><p>"So all this time you were a spy who infiltrated the Abyssal bastards to save us? That's so COOL!" Cassandra had just finished explaining the situation to the others after she was mobbed by her exhilarated fleet with cheers, hugs and kisses. "I knew you'd never betray us, commander! Never a doubt in my mind!"<p>

"But you were still griping about commander betraying us yesterday, Suzukaze! And the day before, and the day before that, and before that, and-"

"N-No I wasn't, what are you talking about, Mura? Are you implying my faith in commander is so weak!?"

"Alright girls, settle down please!" Cassandra said with a chuckle, she did enjoy being able to see the girls chatter again, reminding her of better times, but they were still in a tight schedule. "For now that's the gist of what I've been doing since your capture, but this is only the beginning. I'll fill you girls in on the details of the operation once we're traveling towards our next destination, but right now we need to move! Take the equipment off the bodies and let's go!"

A flurry of salutes and chorus of "Understood, Admiral!" was the answer she received, bringing a smile to her face. Finally she was with her fleet again, and this time for this one last operation together, she would fight by their side instead of sitting there in her office, helpless but to hope for their safe return. There was little more she could ask for.

"Right then, Fleet Biscayne, sally forth!"

With a cheer the fleet and their commander exited the bloodied mess hall, filing down the hallways towards the submarine in high spirits, ready to liberate their allies. Yet, when Cassandra turned the corner to the port, she found herself facing a person she least expected.

"Hello, commander. This is rather sudden, but I'm afraid I must ask you to stop, yes."

One by one the other girls froze as they funneled into the port and saw the source of that so very familiar voice, a person who everyone immediately recognized yet looked so different from what they remembered. With a few less things to be shocked about than the others, Cassandra was the first to recover; unlike the others who had either begun to cry or stuttered incomprehensibly, lost for words, she simply sighed and shook her head, a bemused chuckle escaping her lips. "You're a smart girl, Luna, I shouldn't be so surprised really. Still, when did you find out?"

"I'll admit I had my suspicions since the day we first met, yes, though it was simply a hint of something more going on." The wheelchair-ridden girl waved at her sisters and old friends with a melancholic hint of a smile, while her handcannon was still aimed at the commander despite her apparent friendliness. "The way you reacted towards me, and the connection I felt towards you. Do you remember our first night together on the surface, when I made Mapo Haru and a Long Island for you, your favorite dish and drink? That wasn't a lucky guess, yes. There was something…more, between you and I, I just couldn't tell what, so in the end I left it alone. The next clue was my own dream, a nightmare I had the night we returned from Paris. I saw Fleet Girls in my dream, them to be exact." She pointed at a few of her sisters, whom had somewhat recovered from their initial shock, though most chose not to interrupt Luna's story. Suzukaze would've cried out for her lost sister, but Samidare held her back; as much as she wanted to run over and embrace the familiar Abyssal herself, the cannon was still trained on the commander, and they couldn't act rashly. "It was the same as with you, commander, I didn't remember seeing them before, yet I recognized them in a sense, there was a connection between us, yes. Even then I couldn't understand why, partially because I was distracted by…recent events. It was when I spoke with Hornet after Christmas, when she told me about her previous identity that everything came together, yes."

"I see…But how did you know my plans to break everyone out?"

"Simple. You requested the prison inspections, and you were a commander of a fleet. I might not remember my time as a Fleet Girl, but I know the kind of person you are, commander. I've had two lives to get to know you afterall. When you asked me out for another stargazing trip yesterday despite the moon not being full, contrary to our usual tradition, I knew today was when you'd make your move, yes. I simply made an excuse to stay behind and tailed your sub when you left."

At that, Cassandra could only laugh, a genuine heartfelt laugh that surprised everyone around her. "Damn, you really can see right through me, Luna…Harusame. Makes me feel irresponsible for not knowing you as well, but I hope I'm right at least that you didn't come here just to kill me or bring the cavalry to crush us?"

"If I wanted to kill you, I would've done so much sooner." The Abyssal chuckled as well, not because she found the situation particularly funny, just because her commander's laugh was contagious. Her smile left as soon as it came however. "Still, I must ask that you cut your original plan short, yes."

"What d'you mean by that?"

"I'm willing to allow you and your fleet to escape…but not to free the other fleets. You can flee to anywhere of your choosing, perhaps the abandoned headquarters at Iron Bottom Sound would be a good place to hide until the end of the war. If you want, I'll even do what I can to provide communication systems to contact the military with to pick you up somehow, yes…But I won't allow you to doom the rest."

"I'm not going to 'doom' anyone, once we free them, I'll give them the choice to fight or flee, even stay in their prisons if they want. It's their choice, I'm only offering them one."

"We both know what everyone will choose, commander."

"It's still their choice, isn't it? Also could you please lower your cannon? I'd like to believe you won't shoot to kill whatever happens, but it still makes me uneasy. Don't worry, none of the fleet will attack neither, even without my orders. They're your friends and sisters afterall."

Hesitantly, the Abyssal did lower her cannon, and the tense atmosphere immediately relaxed tenfold as her former allies' collectively breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright. I still stand by what I said though. The Fleet Girls must not be released, for everyone's sake."

"Harusame, please!" The immediate threat to their admiral withdrawn, Suzukaze finally couldn't hold herself back anymore, breaking away from her sisters and tackle-hugging her fallen sister with tears flowing freely down her cheeks, barely able to keep her voice from cracking. "Wake up, they're just controlling you! Please, remember us, we're your sisters! O-Oh god, you feel so cold…" Luna's prosthetics were bumped off by the worried Fleet Girl's movements, further serving to freak everyone out. "Y-YOUR LEGS! What the hell did those monsters do to your legs?! What have they done to you?!" That triggered a chain reaction, causing many of the other Fleet Girls to swarm over to the Abyssal before their commander had to order them to calm down and give Harusame some breathing room. Even the normally cheerful Yuudachi and the calm Shigure rushed to their sister's side with extreme worry, leaving only Kiso standing diligently next to the commander, just in case she needed protecting.

"T-thanks…" Already expecting such a reaction from her former comrades, Luna simply did her best to comfort the crying girls, returning hugs whenever necessary, patting a few heads, anything to make them a little less worried for the moment. "I appreciate the concern but really, I'm fine, yes…I was found with my legs missing, it wasn't the Abyssals' fault. In fact, they installed thrusters into them to help make up for my unfortunate condition, yes! I'm not being controlled or brainwashed neither beyond my amnesia, which again wasn't the Abyssals' fault. I'm still…well, me, yes. Just ask commander, we've been together for about six months now." She said, prompting the girls to immediately turn their heads towards the sheepish Cassandra and swarm her instead.

"What the hell, commander, why didn't you tell us you found Haru?! If she didn't outsmart you and show up here we'd never know what happened to her ever again! You can't just hide something like this from us, you idiot!"

"Please, Suzukaze…" Samidare had to do her best to calm her sister down again, though even she looked a tad annoyed with her commander. "But really, commander, we deserve to know don't we? Even if you're worried how we might respond to that news, rightfully so in a way, we're still her comrades, her sisters!"

"Sorry, I was just scared that it might traumatize some of you, I know it was enough of a shock to make me pass out when we first met each other again. I still shouldn't have kept that a secret from you girls though, and I apologize for that."

"Hey, Harusame, what d'ya mean by thrusters, poi?" asked Yuudachi, who had stayed by the crippled girl along with Shigure while the others complained to the commander for keeping such a secret from them.

"Give me a little room and I'll show you, yes!" Having found an opportunity to lighten the mood, Luna eagerly nudged herself off the wheelchair as soon as her two sisters stood back, blue flame erupting from the metallic ends of her leg stumps while her thrusters activated. The others gasped and looked on amazed by the hovering Abyssal, their worries and grief overwritten by sheer awe for a short moment at least. Yuudachi outright jumped with excitement, and even Kiso and Shigure were clearly impressed.

"Wow, COOL, you're an aviation destroyer now, poi! Did you get any other powers, like lightning or laser beams, poi?"

"Unfortunately no, but I think flight's a good power. It's versatile and doesn't have to be used to hurt others, yes." The Abyssal shakes her head with a smile, ending her little demonstration and falling gently back onto her wheelchair.

"See, she just looks a bit different now, she's the same Harusame we know and love on the inside. Alright everyone, we can all continue our happy reunion once we're on our way! All aboard the sub, we're on a tight schedule!"

"You haven't agreed to my terms yet, commander."

"Aww, with the jolly atmosphere and all I was hoping you'd forget why you're here until we were leaving already…" Cassandra sighed, her joking attempt at getting away foiled.

"Haru, please, we're NOT 'safe' here!" Seeing her sister was still unmoved, Suzukaze begged again. "I don't know what the other Abyssals have been telling you, they're all lies! Listen to us, your sisters, WE'RE the ones you should trust!"

"She's not entirely wrong, Suzukaze." Kiso was the one to interrupt this time. "Cassandra told us already when we were planning the ambush. If we can liberate the other fleets, it'll create a large enough distraction for the military to push back with their secret reserves, but us Fleet Girls will be considered…expendable."

"E-Expendable? What the hell does that mean?!" Murasame shouted out amidst hushed whispers from the others.

"It means no one will be coming to rescue us." Shigure continued solemnly. "We will all be stranded in the ocean while the Abyssals are pushed back towards us. We will give our allies a chance to turn the tide of war, but we will likely all perish before the rain clears."

"Still, it is our duty as Fleet Girls to fight to the end, and bring the absolute best victory to our side even if it means giving our lives to the battlefield!" With unwavering determination, Kiso turned towards the one who blocked their way again with a flourish of her cape. "I know not why our enemies have kept us alive. Perhaps you do, perhaps you've been lied to, I can't be certain. However, regardless whether our captors truly intend to extend their 'hospitality' indefinitely, I'm sure all of us would rather be fighting to our last breath and honor our comrades who have fallen before us than sit idly in our cages!" The others nodded in agreement, their will strengthened by the eyepatched Fleet Girl's rousing speech. "That's why I, we, ask you to step aside, Harusame. None of us wish to harm you, but if we must to complete our duty, we will."

To that, the Abyssal only smiled and nodded. "I understand. I believe it's what I would do in your place too, yes, so I hope you'll also forgive me if I fight for my beliefs as well." Cassandra practically screamed as she jumped between the two sides while they raised their cannons, motioning frantically for them to stop.

"WAIT, WAIT! HOLD UP A SEC! Everyone just calm down first, alright? Let me talk to Lun-Harusame, I still have things to say to her first, alright? I'm sure there's just a misunderstanding here!" She breathed a sigh of relief as everyone put down their weapons again, neither side wanting to fight the other anyway. "Luna, I understand you want to make sure your friends and sisters are safe, as well as all the other Fleet Girls, but this isn't what they want. If you truly care for them, don't you think you should respect their wishes, even if it means letting them go?"

"It's not just about them, commander…" Luna shook her head sadly, "If your plan succeeds, this war won't end for a very long time, and far more than necessary will die." She raised a hand to stop her commander and former comrades before they could interrupt, knowing what they would say. "Before you ask, this has nothing to do with me being an Abyssal, though it's true I don't want my new friends among them to come to harm, yes. Commander, please answer me this. You've been a commander for them for the past six months. You might not know everything, but I'm sure you have a good idea how they operate and what they fight for. What do you think will happen if the Abyssals win the war?"

"…I'll admit they don't seem all that evil." The commander stroked her chin and said after a moment's thought, under the gazes of her fleet, curious to know what their admiral truly thought of the enemy they had dedicated their lives to defeat. "Few of the Abyssals I've met have any actual prejudice against humans and Fleet Girls, though most are impulsive and have weakened consciences. Essentially most of them are just woman-children with sociopathic tendencies, they have no problems killing people, but they have no problems being friendly neither under more peaceful circumstances. As for their high command, whoever they are, they can be ruthless and whimsical at times, but they rarely employ more cruelty than necessary. As Middia said, they don't want to wipe us off the face of the planet or enslave us, and I believe her, since otherwise they wouldn't give fair warning before an assault for civilians to evacuate or other such humanitarian acts. Inazuma and company were allowed to retire even despite her betrayal leading to the IBS raid, and I genuinely don't believe they ever plan on doing away with the Fleet Girl prisoners unless an absolute need arises. If the Abyssals win…they'll probably destroy or confiscate all of our major military equipment, rendering us unable to fight back, then enforce a sort of co-existence through a semi-benevolent dictatorship. Existing Fleet Girls that survive the war will be set free into general society, though under monitoring. Where they take our society from there though I have no idea."

"And what about if the humans win?"

That, Cassandra found she couldn't answer for a long while, even though she knew exactly what would happen. Luna simply stared at her, waiting for her to admit it, until the commander finally took a deep breath and spoke.

"…If we humans win, the Abyssals and their allies would most likely be eradicated, leaving only a few to be studied like lab animals. If a way of controlling the Abyssals is discovered, then the remaining ones will be enslaved instead. The remaining Fleet Girls will be kept as supersoldiers, just another weapon to be used in future wars and conflicts. Faeries will get it best, accepted into human society after helping us against the invaders, as accepted as any race of people would be anyway, probably even less so due to anatomical differences. Without a common enemy anymore, the rest of the world reverts back to its pre-war state, along with all of its social, economic and political problems. Probably more than before, even."

"Precisely, yes." The Abyssal said with a sigh. "Of course, a victory for either side is only a distant eventuality. The Abyssals won't be crippled and promptly defeated simply because of your actions, commander, however heavy a blow it might be. Our technology is still superior, and all Abyssals are by nature aquatic, even our more recent land units are fully functional on water, much less our sea units like I and the other Princesses. Basically, it's one thing to push us back to the ocean, it's another to push back into the ocean, yes. Regardless which side eventually wins, it'll be by exhausting the opponent completely, and countless more will die before that happens. I will _not_ let that happen."

The room stayed silent for a time, the fleet lost for words. If it was anyone else who made those predictions they would undoubtedly dismiss their claims as pessimism, propaganda, yet the ones who made them were their trusted commander and beloved sister. That was enough to give them pause, to give it thought, and none of them found themselves able to argue, even if some still believed the future wasn't truly so bleak.

"…Maybe it doesn't have to be that way?" Cassandra finally broke the silence with a simple yet unexpected proposition. "I know the war will only drag into a stalemate if this plan goes through, Luna, I expected that, but it's precisely because of that stalemate that both sides will have time to calm themselves and think."

"…What do you mean?"

"Humans can be scumbags, I'll be the first to admit that, but not everyone's like that. There are plenty of humans willing to compromise and end this war on a peaceful note, if only they were given the chance to act, and a truly fair peace treaty will only happen if neither side has a clear advantage. Yes, there will be sacrifices, and it'll be painful for us to see them made, but this stalemate is the catalyst for change, and I have a plan."

So she explained what she had in mind while her fleet and the Abyssal listened carefully, contemplating her words. It was a long while before Luna finally spoke again.

"That's…harsh, commander. Ruthless even, though I can accept it as a necessary evil. More than that it sounds incredibly sketch and unreliable…I'm not saying it's impossible, yes, but even you sound uncertain!"

"It's not a happy plan, and I AM uncertain, but peace is always fragile and difficult to achieve. Even if this works, there's no telling what'll happen down the road, but I'd like to believe in the goodness in people, on both sides, and I think it'll be worth it in the end. So, Luna, Harusame, we've both come this far, we've ALL," the commander gestured at the fleet behind her, "come this far. Think you can trust me just one more time, not as an admiral…but as a friend?"

There was another long, tense moment of silence, the pale girl deep in thought, but eventually, the Abyssal closed her eyes, sighed, and when she opened them once more, nodded with a smile.

"Yes!"

* * *

><p>"I see the operation has been a success so far nanodesu!" The tailed Abyssal greeted Cassandra and her secretary while the two fleets mingled excitedly and updated each other on recent events. "Nice to meet you also, Miss Harusame! Or would you prefer Miss Luna?"<p>

"Either's fine, yes. Nice to meet you as well!"

"Going pretty smoothly so far, hope it stays that way. Good to see your preparations worked out as well, Inazuma. Still, where DID your friends get all these guns?" The commander replied, looking around in awe at Okada's fleet, over half of which were equipped with their ship armaments, albeit looking more simplistic than their original equipment.

"I made them nanodesu!" Inazuma said with a proud smile, much to both the other two's shock. "I asked Mister Jackson to teach me how to construct ship guns, and built these in secret. I'm still somewhat new at this so they're not as powerful as the real ones, but hopefully they'll come in handy nanodesu!"

"Better than no guns that's for sure. Anyway, Inazuma, I'm really grateful for your help so far, but I have a few more favors I wanted to ask you for actually."

"What sort of favors? Don't worry, just ask away nanodesu!"

"I know you don't want to drag your friends and sisters into this business, but please hear me out. I need a place where I can stay and hide for a long period of time, several months, possibly even a year. I also need unmonitored internet connections and, if possible, a way to contact the Abyssals' High Command at their HQ anonymously."

"Those are some tall orders nanodesu…Not impossible though. What do you need them for?"

"Look, we have a plan to orchestrate a ceasefire between humans and Abyssals, but it'll take a while before we can pull it off. Now, listen closely…"

Inazuma nodded while she listened, her expression shifting from curiosity to disbelief, to doubt and finally a resigned smile.

"Sounds farfetched nanodesu, but it's still better than letting the war continue on its own I think."

"Worth a shot, isn't it?"

"True enough. However, I have a request of my own nanodesu."

The commander nodded, a little worried of what the tailed Abyssal might ask of her but whatever it was, it'd be the least she could do to repay the girl for everything she's done to help. "What is it?"

"Let me follow you to the surface nanodesu. I want to be there to send off Miss Tenryuu and the others one last time, for Satsuki and my sisters too."

"What? Of course you can, you don't even have to ask! I bet Tenryuu and the gang would've requested that too!" Cassandra replied with a soft chuckle and a pat on the head for the girl before her. "And don't worry, this definitely won't be your last good byes, especially not with all your hard work. Trust them, Inazuma."

"I will, nanodesu."

* * *

><p>"Huh? A-Admir-"<p>

The admiral in question shushed the little group of German Fleet Girls and gestured for them to follow her, leading them back to the port before she explained the situation.

"Was für eine Überraschung, so you've had this planned from the beginning? I misjudged you, Admiral Wilhelm." The redhead Destroyer praised, clearly impressed. "Well then, let's inform the others and get going, we have little time to waste."

"Hey wait a sec, what about the guards? They're not drunk AGAIN, are they?"

"Actually…" Bismarck replied, looking a bit conflicted. "They're dead."

Hearing that, the commander's response was to blink a few times, a look of bewilderment while she wondered whether she heard something wrong. "Wait what?"

"They've been dead for months now, after your first visit here, we stole their weapons and killed them after they passed out from too much alcohol again. We've been faking their communications since then."

"But…why?"

"Truth be told, we've been planning our escape for awhile now. When we heard inspections were gonna be a thing, by one of the human admirals in fact, we figured this would be our ticket out." Bismarck's little sister took over for her. "Afterall, a human can't just swim here like the Abyssals, you'd have to use something like a sub! The original plan was to overpower both you and your escort, then take the submarine to the surface and escape from there. Your first visit was for us to test the waters and confirm our plans. We would've struck on your second visit, but…"

"We couldn't bear to hurt Hoppou!" The tanned submarine squealed with delight just bringing up the little Abyssal, fangirling all over the place. "She was so kawaii, kyaaaaa~! None of us could bear to lay a finger on her!"

"That's why we attempted to 'kill her with kindness' so to speak." Lebe continues with a sigh and an embarrassed smile. "We pretended to be uber endearing to her, with all the cheek pinching and other things that old aunties would do that children hate. We were sort of hoping Hoppou would be so annoyed from the affection she wouldn't want to come back, and you'd bring someone else instead. It was a pretty dumm plan wasn't it, yep…Of course, Lady Biscuit's behavior during your first visit was completely genuine." The destroyer finished up with a hushed tone and a mischievous grin, making the battleship cringe with embarrassment.

"So, let me get this straight…if I didn't bring Hoppou last time…you would've killed me?"

"What?! H-Heavens nein!" Bismarck stuttered, frantically shaking her head and waving her hands about to deny the unsettled admiral's accusation. "We would've just tied you up for questioning and as a hostage! Your escort…if necessary, but Abyssals can be revived, it's not as big a problem…"

"Isn't it? Either way though I guess we should get going, we've still got half a dozen prisons to break."

"Verstanden, Admiral!"

* * *

><p>The sky was shrouded in gold when the sub resurfaced yet again to unload its most recent passengers. One by one, the German girls climbed out the hatch and jumped off onto the rippling ocean, taking in the fresh air and freedom that they had been denied for so long. The commander emerged herself to send them off once the last had disembarked.<p>

"You're all sure about this then?"

"Natürlich! The world's counting on us isn't it?"

"Yeah it is, Max, yeah it is. Still, this isn't a suicide mission, don't do anything reckless and stay alive, alright? Good luck you all!"

"Viel Glück to you too, Admiral Wilhelm!" A mutual salute, and the fleet set sail towards the rendezvous point as the sub submerged and began its journey to the next fleet to free.

"Come on, big sis Biscuit, you're our flagship so take the lead! …Big sis Biscuit?"

The younger sister turned around to search for the battleship, who was still looking back at the island above their former prison, the little headstone clearly visible against the setting sun.

"…Farewell, father dearest. I'll be going now."

"You'll make him proud, Lady Bismarck."

"…Danke." The battleship muttered, just barely audible under the ocean wind, her flowing blonde hair painted golden like the sky and sea. She wiped the tears away and put a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "This is no time to be sentimental indeed. I have a fleet to lead to victory afterall." When she turned back towards her waiting comrades, her face showed no more sorrow, only determination and will. "Sorry for the wait, everyone. Battleship Bismarck, setting sail. SALLY FORTH!"

"JA!"

* * *

><p>"So this is it then, Cassandra?"<p>

"Yeah, I suppose this is where we part ways."

It was late in the dead of night by then. The stars and moon were out, shining their pale light down on the submarine and the two dozen or so girls standing on the ocean's surface.

"D-Do you really have to go…poi? W-We'll…m-miss you…poi…"

"Come on, Yuudachi, wipe those tears away, it's not like you to have such a sad face. I'm sorry I can't go with you girls, we each have our own duties to attend to afterall. Plus, you have all your sisters and friends by your side, don't you? You'll be fine."

"Commander's right. We haven't met again for very long, but I know that sorrowful expression doesn't fit you, Yuudachi. This isn't the end, we'll see each other again for sure one day, in one form or another, yes!"

"It was good to see you again, Harusame. We're…g-going to miss you too, y'know?"

"We WILL see each other again, alright? Promise your sisters that! Promise us…okay?"

"I promise, yes."

"Murasame, Suzukaze, please don't burden Harusame too much. Still, know that no matter what happens, even if we one day sink and become Abyssals ourselves, we will never forget each other, no matter what. Isn't that right, Shiratsuyu?"

"Yeah, Samidare! We'll be together again one day, definitely!"

"C-Come on Shiry, don't cry, b-be strong for Haru!"

"You're one to talk, Suzukaze, sobbing like that."

"S-Shut up, Mura! I'm n-not crying! There's just a little s-salt in my eye, that's all!"

"Hey, Shigure, aren't you going to say anything? Shigu- Whoah!"

The seas were quiet for a moment as the silent destroyer drew her sisters in for a group hug. One by one, the others joined them, until only the commander and Kiso were left standing on the sub beside each other, watching the others give their Abyssal sister their embrace and soft farewells.

"Not going to join them, Kiso?"

"Hugs aren't exactly my thing, Cassandra. Why don't you join them then?"

"I can't walk on water, remember? Plus, I get sappy when I hug people, wouldn't want to start crying in front of the girls now do I?"

"Is that so? Well then…"

"W-What are you-…I thought you said hugs weren't your thing?"

"I thought you said hugs made you cry?"

"Not when I'm prepared of course!"

"Then what's that at the corner of your eyes?"

"…Sea salt. You've got some in yours too, don't you?"

"…I suppose I do."

The two grinned while they broke their embrace to wipe the "salt" from their eyes just as the others broke theirs.

"We'll see each other again, when the rain ends."

"The rain will clear eventually, yes?"

"Indeed."

"Alright everyone, said your farewells? It's time to go."

"Weren't you just busy hugging commander good bye?"

"I was, but time's short unfortunately. Shouldn't keep the others waiting, should we?"

"Kiso's right, we have one more party to get started, poi!"

"It was nice to see you all again and even fight by your sides, and I know this won't be our last reunion. Good luck, everyone."

"You too, Admiral Cassandra Wilhelm. On behalf of us all, thank you for everything thus far. Take care of Harusame for us."

"Of course, Shigure. Well then, Fleet Biscayne, sally forth! Until we meet again!"

"Yes, Admiral!" Under the night sky came the rousing chorus, the flurry of salutes illuminated under the moonlight. By the time the admiral and her secretary lowered their hands, they were gone once more, figures fading away into the distant darkness. She's been giving her farewells to dozens of fleets throughout the day, yet this last one would hurt more than any other. That's what Cassandra thought she'd feel, but when she looked up to the stars with only Harusame left by her side, there was little pain in her heart, for she was certain this wouldn't be the last they'd see of each other.

"…The moon is beautiful tonight as well, yes?"

"Yeah, it is. Let's get going too, we have our own part to do as well."

"Yes, commander!"


End file.
